1783
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Study of Heads: Three Goats, an Ox, and a Ram is a 1783 ink by Francesco Londonio, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows four animals clustered together: three goats with shaggy fur and curved horns, a ram with thick, spiraled horns, and a large ox with big horns and a calm face. They’re all drawn in black lines against a light blue background, with some white added to make the fur look fluffy. The ox is on the right, facing forward, while the goats and ram lean in closer to each other. The artist used a method called *etching*, where they scratch into a metal plate to create the lines. The blue paper gives it a cool, almost faded look. This style was popular for detailed studies like this one. Look up etching to see how artists make prints like this.
Francesco Londonio (1723–1783) was an Italian painter, engraver, and scenographer, active mainly in his native Milan in a late-Baroque or Rococo style.
See the richer artist page
