Apollo and Coronis
1589
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1589
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This engraving shows a man lying on the ground under a tree, surrounded by birds perched on branches. A woman sits nearby, looking down at him. The scene is full of trees, bushes, and small animals, all drawn with careful lines. The artist used fine, crisscrossed lines to create shadows and texture, a method called cross-hatching. The scene looks like it’s from an old story, but the details are left to your imagination. Next, check out how cross-hatching works to see how this technique builds depth.
