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Coronation of the Emperor

Unknown

1568

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Coronation of the Emperor is a 1568 ink by Unknown, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1568 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch is packed with people in a busy, crowded scene. Some stand in robes, others kneel, and a few hold tall staffs. At the center, a figure on a raised platform seems to be the focus, surrounded by a mix of onlookers and musicians. The background shows buildings and more figures, all drawn with quick, sketchy lines. The artist used lots of small parallel lines to build up shadows and textures—this is called cross-hatching. It gives the drawing depth without needing much color. Try looking up *cross-hatching* to see how this technique works in other art.