Agony in the Garden
1650
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1650
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Agony in the Garden is a 1650 ink by French 17th Century, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a tense scene in a moonlit garden. A lone figure kneels on the ground, head bowed, surrounded by sleeping disciples. Above, an angel floats near a glowing orb, while a dramatic sky looms behind twisted trees. Shadows and light play harshly across the rocky ground. The artist used fine lines and deep shading to create drama. Notice how the angel’s wings and the disciples’ robes are filled with tiny cross-hatching marks—this builds texture and depth. Look up cross-hatching to see how this technique works.
