Artwork
Initial D
Initial D is a drawing by the Renaissance artist Master of the Cypresses. It dates from 1434 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Initial D is a small drawing on vellum created around 1434 by the Master of the Cypresses, a painter and manuscript illuminator active in Seville.
Technique & Style
The letter 'D' is rendered in gold ink on purple vellum, with soft edges achieved through sfumato, a technique that creates a blurred effect. The artist's style reflects Italian influences, such as Giotto, and early Netherlandish painting.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a single, ornate letter 'D', surrounded by smaller letters. The 'D' is distorted, appearing compressed, and is set against a deep purple background that evokes the richness of a stained glass window.
Artist & collection
Artist
The Master of the Cypresses is a notname invented by the art historian Diego Angulo Íñiguez in 1928 for a painter and manuscript illuminator working in Seville around the years 1420–1440.
