Les Festes du mois de Feburier (February: the Purification of the Virgin)
1603
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1603
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
You see a crowded 1603 engraving showing February’s feast days. A line of people carries candles to church. Others feast at long tables. Tiny details show snow, food, even a frozen river. Gaultier packed six scenes into one page. Look close and you’ll spot a man warming hands by a fire. The paper’s rough texture shows age but the lines stay sharp. Check how artists used cross-hatching to shade.
