Head of Christ
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of George Campbell Cooper
Accession Number
1896-3-310
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Francesco Bartolozzi’s *Head of Christ*, created in 1802, offers a quiet yet powerful devotional image from the hand of one of the most celebrated printmakers of his era. An Italian artist who spent much of his career in England, Bartolozzi helped popularize stipple engraving, a delicate technique that allowed subtle gradations of tone and a soft, almost painterly quality in black-and-white prints. This work, now part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection through the bequest of George Campbell Cooper, reflects the late phase of his long and influential career. Prints like this o...