Les divers pourtraicts et figures IV
1600
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This engraving shows four muscular figures in dramatic poses. Two women stand tall, one holding a spear, the other a wreath. Two men crouch or lunge, one swinging a club, the other holding a baby. All are bare-chested, with swirling hair and strong muscles. The background looks like ruins with columns. Notice how the artist used tiny lines to build up shadows and textures—this is called cross-hatching. It makes the figures look three-dimensional. Want to see more like this? Look up engraving.
