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Conquest of a Town

Altichiero da Zevio

1380

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Medieval Allegory

Dominant colour

Conquest of a Town is a 1380 ink by Altichiero da Zevio, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Altichiero da Zevio
When & what style?: 1380
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a chaotic battle scene with a town under attack. On the left, soldiers are climbing a ladder toward a tower with a strange, rounded roof. In the center, a group of people is fighting near a tall column with a flame on top. On the right, a group of robed figures stands calmly, watching the chaos from a raised platform. The robed figures might be watching the battle from a safe distance, adding a strange contrast to the violence. The sketch looks like it was drawn quickly, with simple lines and shading. Check out cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with just lines.