Head of Christ
1520
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Sebald Beham
Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings.
See the richer artist page1520
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Head of Christ is a 1520 ink by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white engraving of a bearded man’s face. His eyes are wide open, and his hair is shown as a crown of thorns. The lines are sharp, creating shadows and texture in the beard and hair. The artist used tiny parallel lines to build up dark areas—a technique called cross-hatching. This makes the image look almost three-dimensional. If you like this style, look up cross-hatching to see how it works.
Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings.
See the richer artist page
