1700
graphite
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
A Grotto (The Stables of the Villa Maecenas, Tivoli?) is a 1700 graphite by Francis Place, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a rough, uneven landscape with crumbling stone buildings. The walls look weathered, and the ground is patchy with dirt and rocks. A large, open space in the middle has a few faint lines inside it—maybe a doorway or a window. The artist used quick, sketchy lines and dark washes to show texture. It feels like a quick study rather than a finished work. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build up shadows with lines.
Francis Place (1647 – 21 September 1728) was an English gentleman draughtsman, potter, engraver and printmaker, active mainly in York.
See the richer artist page
