The Triumph of Caesar: The Elephants
1498
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1498
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This engraving shows a busy scene with lots of people and animals. At the center, a group of figures stands around a large elephant. Some people hold torches, others carry shields or offer branches. The background is packed with buildings, columns, and more torches. The lines are sharp, and the shading makes everything look three-dimensional. Notice how the artist used tiny parallel lines to create shadows—this is called cross-hatching. It gives the scene depth and texture, even though it’s just black and white. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists use lines to build light and shadow.
![The Triumph of Julius Caesar [no.5 and 6 plus 2 columns]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/89574bdb08c8732e/thumb.webp)
![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)