1645
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Four Dancing Children and Two Making Music is a 1645 ink by Erasmus Quellinus II, a Baroque work, depicting Putti, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows six chubby, barefoot children in a wooded scene. Four dance in a circle, arms raised, while two play instruments—a lute and what looks like a small drum. The background has twisted trees, bushes, and a rocky hillside. The artist used fine lines to show movement and texture, especially in the kids’ curly hair and the rough bark. The scene feels lively but also a little wild, like a fairy-tale forest. If you like this, look up etching to see how artists carve images into metal plates.
Erasmus Quellinus the Younger or Erasmus Quellinus II (November 19, 1607 – November 11, 1678) was a Flemish painter, engraver, draughtsman and tapestry designer who worked in various genres including history, portrait, allegorical, battle and animal paintings.
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