1594
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Owl on Back of Donkey, Bird on Back of Camel with Other Animals is a 1594 ink by Nicolaes de Bruyn, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This picture shows a mix of odd animals all piled together. An owl sits on a donkey’s back. A camel has a bird riding its shoulders. A cat lies on the ground, and a lion and goat stand nearby. Everything is drawn in black lines on a dark background. The artist used a method called cross-hatching to create shadows and texture. Tiny lines overlap to make the animals look three-dimensional. Look up engraving to see how artists like this one made prints.
Nicolaes de Bruyn (Antwerp, 1571 – Rotterdam, 1656) was a Flemish engraver, who after training in Antwerp was active in the Dutch Republic.
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