Oies bernacles
1851
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1851
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Oies bernacles is a 1851 ink by Karl Bodmer, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows four birds—three geese and one swan—walking near water. The lines are loose and quick, like hurried strokes. The background has wavy marks for water and some grass clumps at the bottom. The artist used a technique that lets ink fill in the scratched lines, making the whole image look soft and slightly fuzzy. This was a common way to make prints in the 1800s. Next, check out etching to see how it works.
