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Gothic Vault [verso]

Parri Spinelli

1440

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance

Dominant colour

Gothic Vault [verso] is a 1440 ink by Parri Spinelli, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Parri Spinelli
When & what style?: 1440
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a half-built stone archway with thick columns and pointed tops. The lines are quick and messy, like someone scribbling fast. Dark ink marks the shadows and edges, while light areas stay mostly blank. The artist used lots of crisscrossed lines to show shadows—this is called *cross-hatching*. It’s not a finished drawing but more like a rough plan. Look up cross-hatching to see how this simple trick makes shapes look 3D.

About the artist

Artist

Parri Spinelli

Parri Spinelli (c. 1387 – 1453) was an Italian (Tuscan) painter of the early renaissance who was born in the Province of Arezzo. His father and teacher was Spinello Aretino (1350–1410), who was active throughout…

See the richer artist page