Who painted Peter and His Children Visited by Three Flying Figures?

Peter and His Children Visited by Three Flying Figures was painted by Thomas Stothard in 1783.

Where can I see Peter and His Children Visited by Three Flying Figures?

Peter and His Children Visited by Three Flying Figures is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Peter and His Children Visited by Three Flying Figures?

Peter and His Children Visited by Three Flying Figures is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Peter and His Children Visited by Three Flying Figures

Thomas Stothard , 1783

Peter and His Children Visited by Three Flying Figures is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist Thomas Stothard. It dates from 1783 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1783, this drawing by British artist Thomas Stothard depicts a domestic scene interrupted by three ethereal, winged figures. Executed with pen and gray ink over a graphite underdrawing on wove paper, the composition balances a grounded interior with a fantastical sky, inviting viewers to contemplate the juxtaposition of ordinary life and the supernatural.

Subject & Meaning

The adult’s solemn expression contrasts with the children’s inquisitive looks, suggesting a narrative tension between responsibility and wonder.

The central figure, a man, stands in a doorway with two small children, all gazing upward toward the hovering trio. The adult’s solemn expression contrasts with the children’s inquisitive looks, suggesting a narrative tension between responsibility and wonder. The winged beings, reaching or pointing downward, introduce a mysterious, possibly allegorical element that transforms a simple family moment into a scene of otherworldly visitation.

Technique & Style

Stothard employed a delicate network of thin lines and cross‑hatching to model forms and suggest depth, while a subtle gray wash over the graphite underdrawing unifies the composition. The restrained palette of ink and wash creates a soft, atmospheric quality, and the careful modulation of light and shadow enhances the dreamlike ambience of the sky and the distant landscape.

History & Provenance

The drawing belongs to Stothard’s early period, when he was establishing himself as a prolific illustrator of narrative subjects. Produced in the late eighteenth century, it reflects his engagement with literary and mythological themes that would later appear in book illustrations and engravings. The work remains a testament to his skill in translating storytelling into a single, evocative image.