Disparate conocido (Well-Known Folly)
1816
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1816
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a chaotic street scene. A woman in a big coat waves a stick wildly, while a crowd huddles around a man on the ground. Some people look shocked or scared, and one man in a hat stands nearby, watching. The lines are loose and sketchy, giving it a rough, urgent feel. The artist used a technique called burnished aquatint, which lets ink spread softly for shading. This helps show the crowd’s movement and the woman’s dramatic gesture. Check out etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how artists create these textures.
