Open full image Pin

Hunchback Brandishing Two Swords

H. Numan

1770

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century Allegory

Dominant colour

Hunchback Brandishing Two Swords is a 1770 ink by H. Numan, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: H. Numan
When & what style?: 1770 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This woodcut shows a hunched figure mid-leap, gripping two swords in each fist. His wild hair and twisted body look like they’re in motion, almost like he’s attacking. Below him, a tiny village sits calmly—houses with pointed roofs and a few trees. The artist used sharp lines to make the figure look twisted and powerful. The contrast between his chaotic movement and the quiet village below adds tension. Look up woodcut to see how this printmaking technique works.