1480
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Oblong Ornament Panel is a 1480 by Italian 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This long, narrow panel looks like carved metal with dark, swirling patterns. It’s divided into three rounded sections, each filled with leafy shapes and tiny flowers. The edges are slightly uneven, and the whole thing has a worn, aged look—like it’s been around for a long time. The dark background makes the lighter details stand out, almost like shadows carved into the surface. This kind of metalwork was often used for decorative plates or jewelry in the past. Look up chiaroscuro next to see how artists used light and dark like this.
This anonymous Italian engraver from the 1490s carved images that could be peeled apart like paper dolls—each knot in the "First Knot" print was cut from a single sheet so you could lift the loops right off the page.
See the richer artist page
![The Destruction of the Egyptian Idols [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/646d3c2b8098cfee/thumb.webp)
![The Flight into Egypt [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/8f4d5275d7f90f98/thumb.webp)