1518
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Venus Extracting a Thorn from Her Foot is a 1518 ink by Marco Dente, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a woman kneeling under a tree, plucking a thorn from her foot. She’s naked except for a wreath of leaves on her head, and the background has a small village, a river, and some hills. The lines are tight and detailed, especially the folds in her skin and the texture of the leaves. The artist used shading to make her body look soft and real. The scene feels peaceful, like a quiet moment in nature. Next, check out how engraving works to see how artists create these sharp, layered lines.
Marco Dente da Ravenna (1493–1527), usually just called Marco Dente, was an Italian engraver born in Ravenna in the latter part of the 15th Century.
See the richer artist page
