Saint Sebastian
1509
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1509
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a half-naked man tied to a tree, with arrows stuck in his body. The background is full of tangled lines that look like rocks, trees, and maybe water. The artist used only black ink, making everything look like it’s carved into the paper. The man’s pose is stiff, but his face looks calm. The lines are packed so tightly you can barely see the paper underneath—it’s all just ink. This is an example of cross-hatching.
