1544
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Ornament with Female Demon is a 1544 ink by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a woman with wings holding a staff, standing between two curled-up creatures that look like dragons or snakes. The background is packed with swirling, leafy patterns and sharp lines. Everything is in black and white, with thick, dark shadows and fine cross-hatching for detail. The woman’s face is calm, but the mix of human and animal elements suggests she might not be entirely human—this kind of mix was common in Renaissance art to show ideas, not just people. The artist used a technique called engraving, where lines are carved into metal to create the image. Next, check out how engraving works to see how artists like this made their marks.
Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings.
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