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Title Page to Francis Quarles, Shepherds Oracles

William Marshall

1646

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

Title Page to Francis Quarles, Shepherds Oracles is a 1646 ink by William Marshall, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: William Marshall
When & what style?: 1646 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows a tree with four virtues—Faith, Hope, Obedience, and Charity—labeled on its branches. Four men stand at the base, holding up the tree: a king with a sword, a robed figure with a book, a cleric with a staff, and a soldier with a shield. Above them, children climb the branches, each holding symbols like a trumpet or a cross. The title at the top reads *The Shepherds Oracles*, and the bottom credits William Marshall as the engraver. The whole scene feels crowded but orderly, like a moral lesson turned into a picture. If you like this style, look up engraving to see how artists carved these sharp lines.