A Christening in Revolutionary France
Jean-Baptiste Mallet (French, 1759–1835)
late 18th century
Medium
Pen and brown and gray inks and red chalk and watercolor, heightened with white; squaring for transfer
Dimensions
33.3 × 44.6 cm
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Muriel Butkin
Accession Number
2017.213
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
Mallet’s image depicts a Republican baptism ceremony during the French Revolution. The event takes place in a magnificent Gothic church, identifiable as such by its pointed arches and stained glass window. A mother presents her infant to the priest who raises his right hand as he administers the sacrament. Even the musicians pause from playing to watch this spectacle.