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Figures at a Church Service

Hippolyte Bellangé

1830

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Figures at a Church Service is a 1830 ink by Hippolyte Bellangé, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Hippolyte Bellangé
When & what style?: 1830 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a simple church scene. In the front, a woman sits holding a baby, while a child kneels beside her with a basket. Behind them, two people stand at a decorated altar, with a cross and a book. The lines are loose and quick, like a quick study. The drawing uses only black ink and graphite, with some areas filled by overlapping lines. This is called cross-hatching, where layers of lines build up tone. Check out cross-hatching to see how artists create shadows with just lines.