The Crucified Man
1550
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1550
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Crucified Man is a 1550 ink by Melchior Lorch, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows Jesus nailed to a wooden cross against a dark background. The artist cut fine lines into a metal plate, then filled them with ink to print the image. The light hits Jesus’ body in just the right spots, making him stand out sharply. The strength of this work is in those tiny lines. Cross-hatching—crisscrossing the lines—creates shadows and depth without using color. It gives the scene a stark, serious mood that makes you pause. Look up chiaroscuro next if you like this strong contrast of light and dark.
![The Farnese Hercules, three-quarter view turned to left [plate 3]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/b0564bebaad016fa/thumb.webp)
![The Farnese Hercules, front view [plate 2]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/cedb2cb031c3391b/thumb.webp)
