Three Men on a Rock
1650
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1650
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows three small figures standing on a rocky outcrop under a scraggly tree. The background is a rough, hilly landscape with jagged lines and dark patches. The whole scene is made up of tight, busy strokes—no smooth shapes or colors, just black and white. The artist used a technique that lets them scratch lines into a metal plate, then press ink into those grooves. That’s how the texture works—every mark is deliberate. Check out etching to see how this kind of printmaking works.
