The Holy Family
1597
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1597
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This engraving shows a woman holding a baby while sitting on a rock. Behind her, a bearded man leans on a staff, looking down. The woman’s arm is raised, and her hair is styled in soft curls. The background has faint lines that create texture. The artist used tiny parallel lines to build up shadows and light—this is called cross-hatching. It makes the figures look three-dimensional even though it’s just ink on paper. Next, look up technique: engraving, cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with lines.
