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Allegory of Sculpture

Gerard van Houten

1690

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Allegory Clothed Male, Naked Female

Dominant colour

Allegory of Sculpture is a 1690 ink by Gerard van Houten, a Baroque work, depicting Clothed Male, Naked Female, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Gerard van Houten
When & what style?: 1690 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a woman seated by a wooden table, carving a human head in stone. A putto holds a mirror to show her work from another angle. Soft gray washes give the scene depth without color. The artist used red chalk with ink and wash for texture. He layered lines to build shadows, a trick called cross-hatching. It feels alive, like the chisel just stopped moving. Check out more drawings with cross-hatching at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.