1543
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Capital and Base of a Column is a 1543 ink by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, depicting Column, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows two perfect columns—one tall and slim, one short and wide. The lines are sharp and clean, like a ruler drew them. You can almost feel the weight of stone in the curves. Sebald Beham made this in 1543 to show how columns hold up buildings. He didn’t paint color—just black lines on white paper. That’s called engraving. The tiny lines next to each other are called cross-hatching. It makes shadows look real. Look up Beham, Sebald next.
Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings.
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