Ornament with Grotesque
1616
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Ornament with Grotesque is a 1616 ink by Master CR, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a strange, swirling frame filled with odd shapes. In the center, a deer stands on a tiny hill next to a small town with a tower. Around it, vines twist into flowers, butterflies, and weird, lumpy forms that don’t look real. The background has a wavy, cloudy sky, and everything is drawn in black lines on a light paper. The mix of animals, plants, and fantasy shapes was a popular trick in old prints—called *grotesques*—to surprise and delight the viewer. The artist used sharp lines and shadows to make it pop. Want to see more prints like this? Look up engraving.
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