The Visitation
1455
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1455
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Visitation is a 1455 ink by Master E.S., a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows two women standing side by side in a rocky landscape. Both have long robes and halos, and their faces look calm. One holds a staff, while the other rests her hand on the first woman’s arm. Behind them, a small village with spires sits on a hill. The lines here are all made by scratching into metal—a method called engraving. The artist used lots of parallel lines to build up shadows and texture, like on the women’s clothes and the trees. Next, check out how engraving works to create depth with just ink and lines.
