A Dancing Satyr
1628
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Herman van Swanevelt
Herman van Swanevelt (1603–1655) was a Dutch artist, born in Woerden.
See the richer artist page1628
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
A Dancing Satyr is a 1628 ink by Herman van Swanevelt, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a wild scene in a forest. A satyr—a half-man, half-goat figure—leans against a tree, watching two women dancing. One woman holds a staff, the other twirls with her arms raised. The trees loom dark in the background, and the ground is covered in tangled roots and brush. The artist used fine lines to create texture, making the leaves and fur look almost real. This kind of printmaking is called etching. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this made detailed prints.
Herman van Swanevelt (1603–1655) was a Dutch artist, born in Woerden.
See the richer artist page
