The Virgin with the Fish
Original title: The Virgin with the Fish
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike the usual 18th-century Madonna prints, Francesco Bartolozzi's 1775 sheet "The Madonna with the Fish" draws several secondary figures into the action: Mary with the Christ Child, Saint Jerome and two angels. It is based on a religious model that is read in visual analysis as a symmetrically arranged Neoclassical scene. The whole is executed as an etching and engraving.
Description
Mary sits on a bench, wearing a long robe and a radiant crown above her head, the child resting on her lap. To her right Saint Jerome has taken a seat with a book; on the left an angel kneels with a fish in hand, and another stands behind Mary. A curtain closes off the pictorial space at the back, and a lion appears at lower right. The figures are arranged centrally, the angels flank them on both sides, and the layout feels mirror-balanced. Grey in various gradations, the light falls evenly without harsh shadows or highlights.
Context
The Italian Francesco Bartolozzi (1727–1815) worked as a copperplate engraver and from 1764 in London, where he made a name for himself with reproductive prints. In 1775, the year this sheet was made, he engraved in large numbers after paintings by well-known artists. The model for the Madonna with the Fish was a painting by Raphael held in Madrid; through Bartolozzi's print a wider public could become acquainted with the work. Reproductive graphics of this kind were among the most important means of spreading art in the 18th century.
Impact
Clearly drawn lines and the balanced arrangement create a calm, solemn mood. Because the sheet is kept solely in shades of grey, the eye is drawn to the figures and their gestures without colour distracting. The Neoclassical character of the work emphasizes the harmonious interplay of the pictorial structure.
Technique
Etching and engraving come together here, producing fine lines and precise details. The plate measures 24.4 × 19 cm, the sheet somewhat more at 28 × 21.9 cm. By varying the density and direction of the lines, the graduated grey values are created.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)