Gothic Ornament with a Lady and a Parrot
1495
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1495
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This drawing shows a woman with long hair and a parrot perched on her head. Around them swirls a wild, tangled knot of leaves and vines—almost like a storm of decoration. The lines are dark and scratchy, with some areas filled in with tiny crisscrossed strokes. The parrot’s beak is open, as if it’s talking to the woman. The whole scene looks like it’s part of a bigger, fancier design, maybe for a book or a building. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines like these.
