Bare Tree [verso]

Fra Bartolommeo

1494

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

About this work

This drawing shows a single bare tree with twisted branches. The lines are thin but precise, and the paper has a slightly yellowed, aged look. The tree’s trunk splits near the bottom, and the branches spread out in a rough, natural shape. The artist used only pen and ink, with no shading or color. This kind of drawing was often used to study nature closely during the Renaissance. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with lines.