A Perspective of a Faceted Snail Shell Balanced on a Pyramid
1567
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1567
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This drawing shows a strange, impossible object: a snail shell with sharp, flat sides balanced on a tiny pyramid. The shell’s surface looks like it’s made of glass panes, and a star sits on top like a crown. The pyramid below is also made of sharp, geometric shapes, as if it’s floating on a flat base. The artist used shading to make the surfaces look three-dimensional, even though the shapes can’t exist in real life. This kind of trickery was a big deal in the 1500s. Next, look up etching to see how this technique works.
