The Massacre of the Innocents

Nicolas Beatrizet

1544

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

About this work

This painting shows a chaotic scene with many people. Some are fighting, and others are running away. There are stairs and arches in the background. In the foreground, a man is holding a sword and appears to be attacking someone. Another person is trying to defend themselves with a shield. The scene is very busy and dramatic. The artist's use of cross-hatching creates a lot of texture and depth in the image. If you want to learn more about the technique used in this painting, look up engraving.