1545
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Fall of Troy and the Escape of Aeneas is a 1545 ink by Giorgio Ghisi, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This chaotic scene shows a city burning in the background while people and animals scramble in the foreground. Horses rear up, soldiers clash with swords, and a giant bull looms over a fleeing figure. The ground is littered with broken buildings, weapons, and bodies tangled in the chaos. The artist packed every inch with tiny details—look at how the flames and smoke twist like extra characters in the scene. The mix of war, myth, and panic fits the story of Troy’s fall. Next, check out how this was made using engraving.
Giorgio Ghisi (1520 — 15 December 1582) was an Italian engraver from Mantua who also worked in Antwerp and in France.
See the richer artist page
