The Circle of the Thieves; Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent
1827
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1827
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This black-and-white print shows four figures in a stormy forest. On the left, two people stand close, one with hands clasped. In the center, a muscular man faces a giant serpent coiled around a tree. To the right, another figure leans back, arms raised, as if fighting off the creature. The water and sky swirl with chaotic lines. The serpent’s tail curls around the tree trunk, almost like a living shadow. The artist used sharp, crisscrossed lines to build up dark areas—this is called cross-hatching. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how it creates depth in prints.
