Sigismund Bathori, Prince of Transylvania
1600
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1600
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Sigismund Bathori, Prince of Transylvania is a 1600 ink by Aegidius Sadeler II, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows Sigismund Bathori in fancy clothes with a mustache and ruffled collar. The artist used sharp lines to make shadows and textures pop. You can almost feel the fabric’s stiffness. The cross-hatching technique makes the face look almost three-dimensional. Tiny dots and lines build up light and dark in a way that feels alive. Try looking up chiaroscuro next.
