The Steep Path
1628
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1628
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Steep Path is a 1628 ink by Herman van Swanevelt, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a black-and-white scene of a winding path up a steep hillside. The trees are drawn with thick, tangled lines, and the ground looks rough with lots of small marks. A few tiny figures walk along the path, but they’re hard to see because the focus is on the landscape. The artist used a technique that lets ink fill in the scratched lines, making the dark shapes pop. This kind of printmaking was common in the 1600s. Next, check out *etching* to see how artists create these detailed prints.
