Saint Michael

German 15th Century

1465

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

About this work

This sketch shows a winged figure standing over a person lying on the ground. The figure holds a spear in one hand and a shield in the other, stepping on the person’s neck. The background has a few faint lines, maybe a building or a wall. The artist used lots of tiny parallel lines to build up dark areas—this helps create shadows and texture without much detail. It’s a simple but dramatic scene. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists use lines to make depth.