Adoration of the Angels (L’Adoration des anges)

Art Historical Context

In the late 18th century, artists Jean-Baptiste Le Prince and Joseph Vien collaborated on *Adoration of the Angels (L’oration des anges)*, ca. 1770, a delicate print capturing a timeless Christian motif: the Madonna and Child surrounded by adoring angels. Vien, a pivotal figure bridging Rococo elegance and emerging Neoclassicism, provided the design, while Le, renowned for his innovative printmaking, executed the etching and aquatint. This intimate scene, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, evokes spiritual tenderness through its soft, glowing forms. The medium—etching combined with aquatint, printed in warm brown ink—marks a technical milestone. Etching allowed precise lines for the angels' flowing drapery and serene expressions, while aquatint introduced subtle tonal gradations, mimicking wash drawings and painterly effects rare in prints of the era. At just 8 3/8 x 6 11/16 inches, the image invites close contemplation, much like a devotional object from the ancien régime. This work reflects the enduring cultural reverence for Marian iconography amid Enlightenment shifts, blending devotional piety with artistic refinement. Donated in 2012 by David Harvey Fox, it offers visitors a window into 18th-century print innovation and sacred storytelling.

About the Artist

Jean-Baptiste Le Prince|Joseph Marie Vien · 1734–1781

Comment on works: Genre; Landscapes; Portraits; Copper engraver; Illustrator; Master draughtsman