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Artwork

Holy Family? with Angels

British 19th Century , 1801

Holy Family? with Angels, by British 19th Century, ink, 1801
Holy Family? with Angels, by British 19th Century, ink, 1801

Holy Family? with Angels is an ink print by the Romanticist artist British 19th Century. It dates from 1801 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is a brown-toned print created through a combination of etching and aquatint.

About this work

Overview

The work is a brown-toned print created through a combination of etching and aquatint. It depicts an intimate assembly of figures, including two winged angels on the left and a group of women and children on the right, arranged closely together in a simple, loosely drawn composition.

Subject & Meaning

The presence of angels with outstretched wings and the grouping of a mother with a child suggest a religious narrative, most likely a representation of the Holy Family. The kneeling woman and the standing older child reinforce the theme of familial devotion within a sacred context.

Technique & Style

The artist employed both etching and aquatint, allowing for fine line work alongside smooth, shaded areas characteristic of the aquatint process. The resulting effect is a soft, tonal quality rendered in brown, with the lines remaining loose and informal, emphasizing the sketch-like quality of the image.

History & Provenance

The piece is catalogued as a print, though no specific date, artist, or collection information is provided. Its classification as an etching and aquatint places it within the broader tradition of 18th‑ and 19th‑century printmaking, where such techniques were commonly used for devotional subjects.

Context

Prints of religious subjects, especially those portraying the Holy Family, were widely disseminated for private devotion and didactic purposes. The inclusion of angels and the tender interaction among figures aligns with the iconographic conventions of the period, offering viewers a contemplative visual narrative.

Artist & collection

Portrait of British 19th Century

Artist

British 19th Century

This artist’s short life left behind a quiet obsession with water—whether the churn of a mill wheel, the choppy waves off England’s south coast, or the way light bounces off pond lilies.

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of National Gallery of Art. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.