Ink, a water-based medium made from plant and mineral colorants, has been used to create drawings dating back to early civilizations like ancient Greece and early Chinese dynasties. One of the oldest known ink drawings is an image of the abduction of Briseis on papyrus from Greece. However, it was the Chinese who really developed ink art starting in the Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.C.E.) and continuing through the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.C.E.), specializing in calligraphy and painting. Brush pens were made from animal hair, and black inks were created from pine soot and glue. Pen and ink illustrations also developed in Western imagery, often found within illuminated manuscripts. Cut, hollowed feathers or reeds were used to apply the ink. Still today, ink is most commonly made of carbon and binders, and used with brushes, pens, or quills, while more modern inventions of steel nibs, fountain, and felt tip pens have allowed artists to achieve different effects and colors.

Explore ink and pen drawings in the collection