1502
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Virgin and Child is a 1502 ink by Benedetto Montagna, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a woman holding a small child. She’s draped in heavy, flowing robes that fold sharply over her body. The child sits close, reaching up toward her face. Both are framed by tall, narrow columns that look like they’re part of a building. The artist used tiny parallel lines to build up shadows and texture—this is called cross-hatching. It makes the robes look thick and the faces soft. Look up engraving to see how artists like this carved lines into metal to make prints.
Benedetto Montagna (c. 1480–1555/58) was an Italian engraver and painter. Montagna was born in Vicenza, the son of the leading painter of the city, Bartolomeo Montagna, with whom he trained and perhaps continued to…
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