Method of drawing with a small sharpened metal rodof lead, copper, gold, or most commonly silveron specially prepared paper or parchment. Silverpoint produces a fine gray line that oxidizes to a light brown; the technique is best suited for small-scale work. It first appeared in medieval Italy and achieved great popularity in the 15th century. Albrecht Dürer and Leonardo da Vinci were its greatest exponents. It went out of fashion in the 17th century with the rise of the graphite pencil but was revived in the 18th century by the miniaturists and in the 20th century by Joseph Stella.
Variants of METAL POINT
metal point or silverpoint
This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on metal point, visit Britannica.com.
Seen & Heard
What made you look up metal point? Please tell us what you were reading, watching or discussing that led you here.