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A Tormentor With Tongs

Taddeo Zuccaro

1548

chalk

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

Dominant colour

A Tormentor With Tongs is a 1548 chalk by Taddeo Zuccaro, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Taddeo Zuccaro
When & what style?: 1548 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch depicts a man wearing a cap and a tunic, grasping a pair of tongs in his right hand. The man's left arm is bent, and his gaze is directed to the right. The image is rendered in pen, brown ink, and brown wash over black chalk on laid paper. The sketch is characterized by expressive lines and a sense of movement, with the man's pose conveying a sense of tension. The use of brown ink and wash adds depth and texture to the image, while the black chalk provides a subtle contrast. The sketch is a fine example of Renaissance art, and its creator, Taddeo Zuccaro, was a prominent artist of the period. To learn more about the techniques used in this sketch, explore the technique of cross-hatching.