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Brawl in an Inn

Unknown

1635

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

Brawl in an Inn is a 1635 ink by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1635 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a chaotic crowd inside a dimly lit room. People are tangled together—some fighting, others sprawled on the ground. A few stand near a table with a barrel and a lantern, while others clutch cups or stumble over each other. The lines are quick and sketchy, like hurried notes. The artist used ink and wash to fill the scene with movement, almost like a story unfolding in real time. The loose, energetic strokes suggest a moment of sudden chaos. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build texture with layers of lines.