Read the visual description
This is a drawing of armed guards with spears in a rocky landscape. The composition shows a rocky terrain with vegetation. A figure in classical armor and helmet is seated on a rock, with a spear nearby and gesturing with an outstretched arm. Two other figures are crouched under a rocky outcrop. The background has trees and clouds. The artwork features detailed textures in armor, clothing, and rocks, creating a dramatic narrative. The style includes fine lines, intricate details, and dynamic forms for storytelling.
National Gallery of Art · Print
Banditti Taking His Post
John Hamilton Mortimer
- Date
- 1778
- Medium
- etching on wove paper
- Dimensions
- sheet: 29 × 18.8 cm (11 7/16 × 7 3/8 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 2017.53.76
- Credit line
- Gift of Thomas Vogler in memory of his brother Donald J. Vogler
- Time span
- 1776 to 1800
- Department
- CG-E
Portfolio and series
- Series
- Fifteen Etchings Dedicated to Sir Joshua Reynolds
Subjects and terms
- etching
- fantasy
Provenance
(William Weston Gallery, London, 8 July 1985); Donald Vogler, Portland, OR; gift to NGA, 2017.
Inscription
lower center in plate: BANDITTI taking his post. / Publish'd Dec.r 8 , 1778, by I. Mortimer
NGA object ID 209714. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.