1630
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Mercury and Argus is a 1630 ink by Simone Cantarini, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a muscular man playing a flute while sitting under a tree. His legs dangle freely, and he leans against a rock. In the background, a sleeping figure lies on the ground, wrapped in a blanket. The trees around him have detailed leaves and branches, and the whole scene looks like it’s carved into the paper. The artist used fine lines to show light and shadow, making the figures pop. This style was common in etchings, where ink is pressed into a metal plate. Next, check out etching to see how artists like this made prints.
Simone Cantarini or Simone da Pesaro, called il Pesarese (Baptized on 21 August 1612 – 15 October 1648) was an Italian painter and etcher.
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