1747
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Carrying of the Cross is a 1747 chalk by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a chaotic scene of people carrying a heavy wooden cross. The figures are tangled, their limbs and tools overlapping in a messy, crowded way. A lantern hangs from a branch above, and a building with a balcony sits in the background. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show movement and struggle, almost like a hurried drawing. The gray-brown ink and wash make it feel rough and unfinished. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with layers of lines.
Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (Italian pronunciation: ; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian classical archaeologist, architect, and artist, famous for his…
See the richer artist page
![The Adoration of the Magi [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/2cfd5d76b55e821e/thumb.webp)
