Pietà

About this work

This drawing shows a group of figures gathered around a dead man lying on the ground. The man’s body is relaxed, but his head is tilted back slightly. Three women stand or kneel beside him—one touches his shoulder, another holds his hand, and a third looks down with a sad expression. A bearded man in the background leans forward, resting his head on his hand. The artist used only black lines on paper, building up shadows and shapes without color. The figures look soft and three-dimensional, even though there’s no shading. Check out cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with just lines.