# Intarsia polyhedra [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [GIOVANNI DA VERONA, Fra]() - Date: 1501-1550 - Technique: Wood ## Commentary Intarsia are mosaics made of pieces of inlaid wood. They are a remarkable art form which reached a peak in northern Italy in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. To construct intarsia, outline drawings are used as templates for cutting many pieces of wood \(perhaps a thousand or more in these examples\). The cut wooden pieces are glued to a wooden substrate and varnished. Different colours of wood provide the different shadings used. Sometimes stains, bleaches, or heat were applied to the wood to provide a wider range of tones. Note that intarsia are flat panels. The appearance of open cupboard doors is a trompe-l'oeil effect of the masterful perspective. ## Related artworks - [Intarsia polyhedra]() - [Liturgical objects]() - [Musical instruments]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()