Arabesque Designs
1551
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1551
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Arabesque Designs is a 1551 ink by Etienne Delaune, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This picture shows a fancy black-and-white pattern. It’s all swirls, leaves, and tiny shapes packed together. Two birds sit at the top, looking like they’re guarding the design. The middle has a big flower-like shape with lots of lines and dots around it. This kind of drawing was used to decorate things like plates or fabrics. The artist carved the design into a metal plate, then pressed paper onto it to make copies. Want to see how this works? Look up engraving.
