1764
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Circumcision is a 1764 ink by Jean Honoré Fragonard, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a group of robed figures gathered around a baby on a table. One man holds the child while another bends over, and a woman kneels nearby with her hands clasped. In the background, two small figures hover as if watching from above. Notice how the artist used fine lines to create texture—like the folds in the robes or the baby’s swaddling cloth. The scene looks busy but is drawn with careful detail. Want to see more? Check out how etching works as a printmaking technique.
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.
See the richer artist page
