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View across a River to a Walled City at Sunset

Master CR

1544

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Cityscape

Dominant colour

View across a River to a Walled City at Sunset is a 1544 ink by Master CR, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Master CR
When & what style?: 1544 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a quiet river scene at dusk. On the left, trees line the bank, their branches reflected in the water. A few small boats float near the shore, while on the right, a walled city rises with spires and rooftops glowing faintly under a fading sun. The sky is filled with soft lines suggesting light and clouds. The artist used a method called etching to create the fine details—lines made by scratching into a metal plate. The city’s walls and distant towers look almost like a dream, with no sharp edges. Next, check out etching to see how artists like this made prints before photography.