The Round Tower
1754
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1754
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a towering stone building with endless staircases and arches. The walls are packed with tiny windows and doorways, all tangled together. A crane looms over the left side, its ropes crisscrossing the scene like a web. The artist used fine lines to build up the texture, making the stone look rough and the shadows deep. It’s like a maze—you can’t tell where one path starts or ends. Look up etching to see how artists like this carve images into metal plates.
