Artwork
Virgin and Child with an angel
Virgin and Child with an angel is a print by the Impressionist artist Ansiglione. It dates from 1877 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This is a print of the Virgin and Child with an angel by Ansiglione from 1877. It’s not a painting, it’s a print made for the Arundel Society to share with subscribers.
The print uses a process called chromolithography. That means it was made with greasy ink on wet stones, one stone per color, pressed onto paper.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.
Overview
Created for the Arundel Society, it reproduces a work by Simone di Cristoforo, known as Ansiglione, using a multi-stone lithographic process to achieve color.
This is a chromolithographic print depicting the Virgin and Child with an angel, produced in 1877. It is not an original painting but a reproductive print made to disseminate images of Renaissance art. Created for the Arundel Society, it reproduces a work by Simone di Cristoforo, known as Ansiglione, using a multi-stone lithographic process to achieve color.
The print was part of a broader effort to make historical art accessible to the public through affordable reproductions.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ, with a small angel present, likely symbolizing divine witness or celestial harmony. This composition reflects devotional themes common in late medieval and early Renaissance Italian art. The figures are rendered with quiet dignity, emphasizing spiritual serenity rather than dramatic intensity.
The subject was chosen for its religious resonance and aesthetic clarity, aligning with the Arundel Society’s preference for harmonious, narrative-rich frescoes.
Technique & Style
The print was made using chromolithography, a method requiring a separate stone for each color. Artists applied greasy chalk to transfer the original design onto stone surfaces, which were then dampened so that ink adhered only to the drawn areas. Multiple pressings layered colors to recreate the tonal range of the original fresco.
The result is a precise, flat-toned reproduction that prioritizes fidelity over expressive brushwork, characteristic of 19th-century reproductive printing.
History & Provenance
The print was produced by the Arundel Society, founded in 1849 to distribute high-quality reproductions of Italian frescoes and panel paintings. Artists were commissioned to copy originals, and their watercolor studies were reviewed by a council before being sent to printers. This particular print, dated 1877, was one of many issued over nearly five decades. By 1897, over 200,000 such prints had been distributed to subscribers across Britain and beyond.
Context
The Arundel Society emerged during a period of growing public interest in art education and the preservation of cultural heritage. Its mission responded to the belief that access to classical and Renaissance imagery could elevate public taste. By targeting schools, churches, and community spaces, the Society sought to embed these images into everyday life, making art a shared cultural resource rather than an elite possession.
Legacy
Chromolithographs from the Arundel Society remain in many institutional and domestic collections, particularly in former ecclesiastical and educational settings. Though later dismissed as mere reproductions, they played a significant role in shaping 19th-century visual literacy. Their persistence in public spaces reflects their function as tools of cultural transmission, bridging the gap between original artworks and a broad, non-specialist audience.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
This 19th-century printmaker made religious scenes in a straightforward style. Their 1877 print Virgin and Child with an angel shows a calm Madonna and child flanked by a winged figure, typical of devotional art from…
- Virgin and Child with Two Angels
Madonna and Child
Madonna Adoring The Child
Mary with the Child, the Boy John Adoring the Child, and Two Saints
The Christ Child Worshipped by Mary
Maria mit Kind
Madonna and Child with Two Angels
Virgin and Child with an Angel
Madonna and Child
Madonna and Child
Madonna and Child with Angels
Madonna Adoring the Sleeping Child