Head of a Cock
1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows a rooster’s head in sharp black and white. The lines are scratchy where the drypoint needle dug in. The artist, Félix Bracquemond, cut this in 1882 straight onto a copper plate. He kept the edges rough, so the bird looks alert and alive. Try your own drypoint on a plastic plate—see how the needle changes the line.