1560
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Bust of a Woman in an Extravagant Costume is a 1560 ink by French 16th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white engraving of a woman’s head and shoulders. She wears an elaborate headdress covered in swirling curls, leaves, and tiny fruits. Her collar is stiff and decorated with a small bird, while her hands rest on a ruffled sleeve. The lines are sharp, showing every fold of fabric and strand of hair. The artist used cross-hatching—tiny parallel lines crisscrossed to create shadows and texture. This was a common trick in engravings to make flat metal look three-dimensional. Next, check out technique: engraving.
A French artist from the 1500s made metal sculptures and prints that feel like Renaissance snapshots.
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