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Christ and the Adulteress [recto]

German 16th Century

1600

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Religious

Dominant colour

Christ and the Adulteress [recto] is a 1600 ink by German 16th Century, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 16th Century
When & what style?: 1600 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows three figures in a dim, rocky landscape. One person kneels on the ground, arms outstretched, wearing a crown and fancy robes. Two others stand behind them, one with a halo, the other looking down. The background has trees, a distant village, and a stormy sky with swirling clouds. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to create shadows and texture, especially on the clothes and rocks. It looks like they layered ink to build up dark areas. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build depth with lines like these.