Prudence
1520
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1520
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Prudence is a 1520 ink by Marcantonio Raimondi, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white engraving of a naked man holding a long cloth in one hand and a snake in the other. His hair is long, and he’s standing on a small platform. The background is plain, with no extra details—just a simple oval frame around him. The artist used tiny lines to create shadows and texture, especially on his skin and the cloth. This technique makes the figure look three-dimensional even though it’s just ink on paper. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like this made prints before photography.
