Open full image Pin

Talia (Thalia)

Master of the E-Series Tarocchi

1465

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

Dominant colour

Talia (Thalia) is a 1465 ink by Master of the E-Series Tarocchi, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Master of the E-Series Tarocchi
When & what style?: 1465 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This is a black-and-white engraving of a woman sitting on a ledge. She’s playing a stringed instrument, her fingers resting on the strings while her other hand holds the neck. Her hair is loose, and she wears a simple draped robe. Behind her, two small trees and a fence line a flat, distant landscape. The image looks like it was made with fine lines and shading to create depth. The artist used cross-hatching—tiny crisscrossed lines—to show shadows and texture. Look up engraving to see how artists like this one carved detailed images into metal plates.