Siren and Triton
1640
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1640
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This engraving shows a muscular man riding a giant sea creature, with two women clinging to him. The man’s hair and beard are wild, and the women have flowing locks. Waves crash around them, and a rocky shore is visible in the background. The artist used tiny parallel lines to build up shadows and texture, making the figures look three-dimensional. This is called cross-hatching. Look up technique: cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with lines.
