Coat of Arms with a Lion and Unicorn
1485
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1485
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Coat of Arms with a Lion and Unicorn is a 1485 ink by Master hw, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white drawing of a coat of arms. At the top sits a unicorn with a twisted horn, standing on a shield. Below the shield is a lion with its front paws raised, looking up. The whole thing is framed by swirling, leafy designs that look like vines or flames. The artist used lines to build up dark and light areas, making the shapes pop. This kind of drawing was made by pressing a sharp tool into metal—like carving but backwards. Next, check out engraving to see how this technique works.
