Annunciation to the Shepherds
1611
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1611
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This black-and-white print shows a group of shepherds huddled around a bright light. One shepherd points upward, looking surprised. The scene is busy, with lots of swirling lines and shadows. Trees and sheep fill the background, but the light draws your eye. The artist used tiny parallel lines to build up dark areas—this is called cross-hatching. It looks old and worn, like the paper is fragile. Check out more about cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with just lines.
