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Un Miracle [A Miracle]

Mosè Bianchi

1874

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Un Miracle [A Miracle] is a 1874 ink by Mosè Bianchi, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Mosè Bianchi
When & what style?: 1874 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This etching shows a shadowy figure kneeling by a dark pool, hands raised in prayer. The grainy, speckled surface comes from aquatint—a way to print soft tones like watercolor. Lines fade into blurs, like ink running on wet paper. Mosè Bianchi used this method to mimic moonlight. The man’s outline flickers at the edges, like he’s almost dissolving. Try etching on Japanese paper yourself—see how the fibers catch ink differently.