The Two Statues
1682
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1682
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows two classical statues—one male, one female—side by side on pedestals. The light hits their smooth marble, casting sharp shadows behind. You can see the artist’s scratchy lines, especially in the hair and folds. The statues look almost alive, thanks to Genoels’ careful shading. He used drypoint here—a technique where he scratched the metal plate directly. The result feels three-dimensional, like you could walk around them. Try looking up etchings by Rembrandt to see how drypoint changes an image.
