1761
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine is a 1761 chalk by Jean Honoré Fragonard, a Romanticism work, depicting Saint Cecilia, held at National Gallery of Art.
A woman in white sits beside a saint with a glowing halo. A baby Jesus holds her hand as a ring appears over her finger. A crowd of saints watches in the background. This drawing feels soft despite being made with chalk and ink. The faces look almost blurred, like Fragonard wanted us to focus on the quiet moment, not sharp details. He used a trick called a counterproof—he drew this first, then pressed another sheet on top to copy it. Look up Fragonard, Jean Honoré to see more playful, dreamy art.
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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