Young Woman, Surrounded by Cupids (The Garden of Charity, vertical version)
1631
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1631
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
You see a young woman sitting outside. Cupids fly around her in a busy but gentle swirl. A dog sleeps at her feet. She holds a basket filled with fruit. This is an etching from the 1600s. It’s rare because most art from that time was painted, not printed. The lines are soft yet full of detail, like a sketch turned into a drawing. See how the light plays on her face? That’s drypoint, a technique where the artist scratches lines into metal to hold ink. Try Testa, Pietro.
