1622
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Cucorongna and Pernoualla is a 1622 ink by French 17th Century, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two giant, bug-like creatures stomping through a small town. They have huge wings, long legs, and human-like faces with wild hair. People in the background run or hide as the creatures trample buildings and a bridge. The names under the creatures—*Cucorongna* and *Pernoualla*—sound like monsters from folklore. This kind of exaggerated, chaotic scene was meant to scare or entertain. Next, look up technique: etching to see how artists like this made sharp, detailed prints.
Seventeenth-century French printmakers turned ink into story. Their tools were burin and acid, paper their stage. Look at the Beggar Woman with Rosary (1622), etched on laid paper, her hands folded around faith, or The…
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