Altar for Corpus Christi Day
1648
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1648
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows a grand, ornate altar set up in a public square. Crowds of people—some standing, some sitting—fill the foreground, watching the scene. Soldiers with flags stand on the roof of the altar, while statues and angels decorate the top. The building behind it has tall columns, arched windows, and a crown-like symbol at the center. The artist used fine lines to show every detail, from the folds in the people’s clothes to the carvings on the altar. This kind of precision is typical of etchings, where the artist scratches into a metal plate. Next, look up etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how this technique works.
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