Thistle Ornament
1470
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1470
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Thistle Ornament is a 1470 ink by Martin Schongauer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white drawing of a thistle plant. The leaves twist into sharp points, and the flower at the top has spiky petals. The lines are smooth but detailed, with some areas filled in with tiny parallel lines for shading. The artist used a tool to carve lines into a metal plate, then inked it to make the print. This was a common way to make many copies of the same image back then. Want to see more? Look up engraving.
