Madonna on a Crescent
1515
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1515
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This engraving shows a woman holding a child, both floating above a group of people on their knees. The woman wears a crown and a long robe, while the child reaches out. The background has sharp, slanted lines that look like light or wind. The artist used tiny parallel lines to create shading and texture, which makes the figures look three-dimensional. This method is called cross-hatching. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists use lines to build depth.
