An Allegory of Britain's Naval Might
1798
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1798
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
An Allegory of Britain's Naval Might is a 1798 ink by Robert Smirke, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a mix of people and animals in a loose, sketchy style. On the left, a man in ancient armor kneels next to a woman in flowing robes. To the right, a robed figure with a staff points toward a floating, ghostly shape. Below them, a sheep and a few small figures lie on the ground. The drawing feels like a quick study—light lines and shading suggest movement, not detail. The ghostly figure might represent something bigger than the scene itself. Check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.
