1516
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Saint George is a 1516 ink by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a knight on horseback fighting a giant lizard. The knight holds a spear pointed at the creature’s head, while the lizard’s mouth opens wide. Trees and bushes fill the background, with sharp lines and shadows adding depth. The artist used tiny parallel lines to build up dark areas—this is called cross-hatching. It makes the scene look dramatic and textured. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists use lines to create shadows.
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…
See the richer artist page
