Coat of Arms with an Eagle
1543
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1543
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Coat of Arms with an Eagle is a 1543 ink by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a shield with an eagle perched on a globe. The bird’s wings spread wide, and one claw grips a sword. Tiny lines cover every surface, making shadows and textures pop. Sebald Beham made this for printers to copy and sell. He carved the metal plate himself. Each print feels sharp because of his cross-hatching—those crisscrossed lines that create dark shadows. Want to see how he built detail? Look up cross-hatching.
