Triumphal Doorway
1574
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1574
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Triumphal Doorway is a 1574 ink by Wendel Dietterlin, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a grand, imaginary doorway packed with tiny details. Columns, arches, and carvings stack up in layers, like a building exploded into parts. At the top, a coat of arms sits above a balcony with two winged figures—one looks like a lion, the other a mix of human and bird. The whole thing is drawn with sharp lines, almost like a blueprint. The artist used a method called *etching* to carve the design into metal, then pressed ink into the grooves. This made it possible to print many copies, which was new at the time. Look up etching to see how artists like this made prints before photography.
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