The Seraglio
1723
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1723
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Seraglio is a 1723 ink by William Hogarth, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a busy indoor scene with people dressed in old-fashioned clothes. Some stand, some sit, and one woman holds a fan while another plays a stringed instrument. The room has tall windows with bars, and the walls are covered in detailed carvings and small pictures. A few people are gathered around a table, while others stand near a raised platform. Notice how the artist uses tiny lines to create shadows and textures—this is called cross-hatching. It makes the scene look three-dimensional even though it’s just ink on paper. Try looking up cross-hatching to see how artists use lines to build depth.
