Vase Supported by a Base with Three Grotesque Faces
1768
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1768
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows a fancy vase sitting on a pedestal in a garden. The vase is tall, with carvings and a dome on top, and the base has three strange face-like designs. Trees and bushes surround it, and there’s a small building in the background. The artist used shading to make the vase look three-dimensional, even though it’s just a drawing. The faces on the pedestal are called *grotesques*—a style that mixes human and animal features in a weird, playful way. Want to see more prints like this? Look up etching to learn how artists create these detailed lines.
