Saint Francis Consoled by the Musical Angel
1595
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1595
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This engraving shows a half-naked man kneeling on rocky ground, his head bowed. Behind him, a winged figure hovers, playing a small instrument while a bird perches nearby. The scene is packed with tangled vines, flowers, and rough textures that fill every corner. The man’s face looks sad but peaceful, like he’s listening hard. The engraving uses lots of tiny parallel lines to build up shadows and details—this is called cross-hatching. Next, check out how cross-hatching works in other prints.
