Artwork

A Sacred Sheet Sent from Holy Mother Wisdom by Her Angel of Many Signs

A Sacred Sheet Sent from Holy Mother Wisdom by Her Angel of Many Signs is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Mary Wicks. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1843 by Mary Wicks, this pen-and-blue-ink drawing bears the title A Sacred Sheet Sent from Holy Mother Wisdom by Her Angel of Many Signs. The composition fills the entire sheet with dense, interlocking motifs, centering on a prominent cross surrounded by an array of circular and star‑like forms.

Subject & Meaning

The central cross functions as a focal point of spiritual significance, encircled by symbols that evoke celestial bodies, floral motifs, and enigmatic signs. Together these elements suggest a visual prayer or invocation, presenting the angelic messenger as a conduit for divine wisdom.

Technique & Style

Wicks employs intensive cross‑hatching, layering fine lines, thicker strokes, and stippled dots to generate texture and tonal variation across the surface. The border repeats decorative patterns, reinforcing the manuscript‑like quality of the work and demonstrating meticulous control of line within a compact format.

History & Provenance

The drawing is documented as a product of Wicks’s mid‑nineteenth‑century output. Apart from its creation date and attribution, no further ownership record is presently available, leaving its exhibition and collection history largely untraced.