Ornament
1540
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1540
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Ornament is a 1540 ink by Master T.F., a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows swirling black patterns on a light background. At the center, two small figures stand under a tree with a few branches. Around them, flowers and vines twist into shapes that fill the whole page. The edges have more decorative swirls, and the bottom corners repeat smaller versions of the designs. The artist used only black ink to create depth, with tiny lines building up shadows. This was a common way to make engravings look three-dimensional. Next, look up engraving to see how this technique works.
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