1764
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Angel Holding a Palm and a Crown is a 1764 ink by Jean Honoré Fragonard, a Romanticism work, depicting Putti, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows an angel holding a green palm branch and a golden crown against a plain background. The angel’s soft curls and flowing robes are cut with fine, scratchy lines. You can feel the artist’s hand in the uneven grooves—this is drypoint, where a needle scratches metal to hold ink. The angel looks gentle, but the crown and palm hint at victory or sacrifice. Fragonard didn’t paint this; he scratched it onto metal. Drypoint gives the lines a blurry, fuzzy edge you can’t get with paint. Try drawing with a needle on metal foil to see how the marks change.
Jean-Honoré Fragonard was born on 5 April 1732 in Grasse, the son of a glover, and moved with his family to Paris in 1738.
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