Heads of Two Bishops
1780
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1780
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This drawing shows two men with thick hair and beards, their faces half-hidden under wavy lines. The lines overlap in messy, tangled clusters, making the faces look shadowy and unclear. One man holds a book, while the other’s hand rests on a staff. The artist used lots of crisscrossed lines to create dark, textured shadows instead of smooth shading. This technique makes the faces feel mysterious and full of energy. Want to see more work like this? Try looking up cross-hatching.
