Charon
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
wood engraving in black on laid paper
Dimensions
image: 11.91 × 8.73 cm (4 11/16 × 3 7/16 in.) sheet: 13.49 × 11.43 cm (5 5/16 × 4 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Bequest of Frank B. Bristow)
Accession Number
2015.19.1372
Art Historical Context
**Charon**, a striking wood engraving by C.. Nightingale from 1935, captures mythic ferryman of Hades in intricate black lines on laid paper. Measuring just 11.91 × 8.73 cm, this intimate print invites close viewing, its compact scale evoking the shadowy passages of the ancient underworld. Created during the interwar years amid economic hardship, Nightingale's work reflects a period when printmakers often turned to classical themes for timeless resonance. Wood engraving, Nightingale's chosen medium, exemplifies a precise relief technique where the artist carves fine details into the end-grain...