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Palatial Mantelpiece with a Scene of Ancient Sacrifice [recto]

Austrian 16th Century

1571

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Architectural

Dominant colour

Palatial Mantelpiece with a Scene of Ancient Sacrifice [recto] is a 1571 ink by Austrian 16th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Austrian 16th Century
When & what style?: 1571 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a fancy stone fireplace with two scenes carved into its mantel. The top part has a group of people around a small altar, with one person holding a bowl. Below, a doorway frames a seated figure in a robe, looking like a religious scene. The drawing is all in brown ink, with lots of lines crisscrossing to show shadows and depth. The date "1571" is written in the middle, hidden in the design. This was a common way to mark sketches back then—like a secret signature. If you like this kind of detailed drawing, look up cross-hatching to see how artists create shadows with lines.