Riders Carrying Bows and Javelins

Antonio Fantuzzi

1542

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

About this work

This sketch shows a chaotic group of soldiers on horseback. They’re armed with bows, spears, and shields, all tangled in a swirl of movement. The horses rear and kick, while figures on the ground scramble or fall. Faces are tense, and the scene feels like a battle or a hunt gone wild. The drawing is all black lines on paper—no color, just sharp details. The artist used a technique that lets lines look both rough and precise at once. Next, check out etching to see how this kind of drawing was made.