Three Sailing Vessels on Calm Waters
1656
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1656
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This drawing shows three boats sailing on calm water. The largest boat in the center has two tall masts and lots of ropes, while the smaller one on the left has a single mast. In the distance, you can see a few tiny boats and a flat horizon line with a few puffy clouds. The artist used fine lines to show the texture of the sails and water. This kind of drawing is called an etching, where the artist scratches into a metal plate to create the image. Next, look up *etching* to see how artists make prints like this one.
