Ornament with Fantastic Satyr and Dolphins
1516
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1516
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows a wild scene in black and white. A bearded face with horns and a wreath pops out from a tangle of vines, leaves, and flowers. Around him, dolphins twist through the branches, and swirls fill the background like stormy clouds. The artist used sharp lines and shading to make everything look three-dimensional. The face might be a satyr—a half-man, half-goat creature from old stories. Look up engraving to see how artists carve images into metal plates like this one.
