Studies of Aurora and Apollo
1794
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Pietro Fancelli
Pietro Fancelli (1764–1850) was an Italian artist, born in Bologna.
See the richer artist page1794
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Studies of Aurora and Apollo is a 1794 ink by Pietro Fancelli, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch is packed with swirling figures and dramatic motion. You see Apollo, the sun god, riding a chariot pulled by horses. Around him, clouds and other characters twist in the air, like they’re caught in a storm. The lines are dark and busy, filling every corner of the page. Notice how the artist used tiny, overlapping lines to build up shadows and shapes—this is called cross-hatching. It gives the drawing a sense of depth and energy, even though it’s just ink on paper. Next, check out the technique: cross-hatching to see how artists use it to create texture.
Pietro Fancelli (1764–1850) was an Italian artist, born in Bologna.
See the richer artist page
