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Head of a Boy

German 16th Century

1501

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Head of a Boy is a 1501 ink by German 16th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 16th Century
When & what style?: 1501 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a boy’s face in profile, looking down and slightly to the side. His hair is curly and wild, drawn with quick, swirling lines. The background is a flat blue-green color, and the boy’s features—eyes, nose, and mouth—are outlined in brown ink with white highlights. The artist used ink and white paint on blue paper, which makes the lines stand out sharply. This style was common in Renaissance drawings, where artists often focused on precise lines and shading. Next, check out the technique: cross-hatching to see how artists built up details with layers of lines.