Cavalry Battle
1774
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1774
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This black-and-white print shows a chaotic battle between horseback riders. The horses rear, kick, and clash in the center, while soldiers on foot scramble below. The sky is swirling with smoke or clouds, and the ground looks uneven, like a stormy landscape. The artist used scratching and shading to create dramatic movement—no paint, just ink and lines. This was a common way to make prints before photography. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this carved their images into metal plates.
