1497
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Four Dancing Muses is a 1497 ink by Andrea Mantegna, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows four women dancing in a line, their arms linked. They wear loose, flowing robes that move with them, and their hair is styled in soft curls. The background is plain, letting the figures stand out clearly. Notice how the artist used fine lines to show the folds in their clothes and the texture of their hair. This was a common way to add depth in engravings. Try looking up engraving to see how this technique works.
Andrea Mantegna (UK: , US: ; Italian: ; c. 1431 – September 13, 1506) was an Italian Renaissance painter, a student of Roman archaeology, and the son-in-law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna…
See the richer artist page
