Endpaper with Animals
1750
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1750
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Endpaper with Animals is a 1750 ink by German 18th Century, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a sheet of paper covered in small, gold animal shapes. Each figure—deer, zebras, antelopes, and a few people—is cut out and pressed on in a repeating pattern. The background is a soft pink, making the gold stand out like a stamped design. The animals are simple but lively, some standing, some walking, all facing different ways. A few tiny humans are mixed in, holding up signs or standing next to the animals. The gold ink looks like it was stamped on, not painted by hand. This technique is called woodcut.
