1485
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Ornament with Owl Mocked by Day Birds is a 1485 ink by Martin Schongauer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This picture shows a busy black-and-white design with lots of swirling lines and shapes. In the middle, a tree with leafy branches grows upward, while birds with sharp beaks fly around it. The birds look like they’re laughing at something below—maybe an owl hidden in the leaves. The lines are tight and precise, filling every inch of the page. The artist used a sharp tool to carve these lines into metal, then pressed ink into them. This method is called *engraving*, and it lets them pack a lot of detail into a small space. The birds’ expressions and the owl’s hidden spot make it feel like a little story. Next, check out how *engraving* works to see how artists create such sharp, detailed prints.
Martin Schongauer, also known as Martin Schön or Hübsch Martin by his contemporaries, was an Alsatian engraver and painter.
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