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 image is a black-and-white design with swirling vines, flowers, and odd shapes framing a small scene. Inside a circle, two figures stand near water—one holds a basket, the other a long pole. Around them, leaves, birds, and twisting branches fill the edges, looking almost like tangled roots. The mix of real plants and strange, invented forms was a common trick in Baroque art. These "grotesques" came from ancient Roman decorations rediscovered later. Next, check out engraving to see how artists carved these fine lines into metal.
