1625
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Pope Urban VIII is a 1625 ink by Ottavio Leoni, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of an older man with a full beard and mustache. He’s wearing a tall, pointed hat and a high-collared robe. The lines in the print are all hand-drawn, creating shadows and texture on his face and clothes. The text at the bottom reads *Urbanus Octavus Pont. Max.*, which means this is Pope Urban VIII. The artist signed it in 1625, so it’s from that year. If you like this style, look up engraving, cross-hatching next to see how artists create depth with just lines.
Ottavio Leoni (1578 – 4 September 1630) was an Italian painter and printmaker of the early-Baroque, active mainly in Rome.
See the richer artist page
