1543
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Ornament Panel with a Large Bearded Mask is a 1543 ink by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white engraving of a bearded face wearing a crown of leaves. The man’s mouth is open, like he’s shouting or singing. Swirling vines and leaves frame his head, filling the background with sharp, detailed lines. The artist used tiny parallel lines to build up shadows and texture—this is called cross-hatching. It makes the face and leaves look almost three-dimensional. Try looking up engraving to see how this technique works.
Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings.
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