Sea-God on a Dolphin Riding to the Left
1525
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1525
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Sea-God on a Dolphin Riding to the Left is a 1525 ink by Jakob Binck, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a half-human, half-fish figure riding a dolphin. The sea-creature’s hair and beard swirl wildly, and its left hand holds a long staff. The dolphin’s body arches beneath it, its tail kicking up water. Dark lines fill the background, making the scene feel dramatic and swirling. The artist used tiny, repeated lines to build up shadows and texture—this is called cross-hatching. It gives the image a rough, almost carved look, like the lines were scratched into the paper. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with just lines.
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