1654
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Mater Dolorosa is a 1654 ink by Robert Nanteuil, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a woman’s face in profile, her head wrapped in a veil. The lines around her face and hair are made of tiny, repeating strokes that create shadows and texture. Below, a ribbon holds a coat of arms with a lion and a shield. The artist used cross-hatching—lots of crisscrossed lines—to build up dark and light areas. This makes the face look three-dimensional even though it’s just ink on paper. Next, check out how cross-hatching works in other prints.
Robert Nanteuil (French pronunciation: ; 1623 – 9 December 1678) was a French portrait artist: engraver, draughtsman and pastellist to the court of Louis XIV.
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