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The Embarkation of Aeneas from the Ceraunian Headland

Giulio Benso

1644

chalk

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

The Embarkation of Aeneas from the Ceraunian Headland is a 1644 chalk by Giulio Benso, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Giulio Benso
When & what style?: 1644 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a group of people in a busy, dramatic scene. Some stand, some kneel, and one person holds a child. The lines are loose and quick, with lots of shading to show movement and emotion. The paper has a light, aged look, and the ink is mostly brown with some darker spots. The artist used lots of small, overlapping lines to build up shadows and texture. This technique helps make the figures look three-dimensional. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with lines.