Faith
1774
Medium
Pen and brown ink, with traces of graphite, on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
50.2 × 39.4 cm (19 13/16 × 15 9/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
109137
Art Historical Context
John Downman's *Faith* (1774) is a delicate pen and brown ink drawing on ivory laid paper, heightened with traces of graphite, measuring an impressive 50.2 × 39.4 cm. Created during the artist's early career in late 18th-century England this work exemplifies Downman's skill as a draughtsman renowned for his intimate portraits and allegorical figures, often exhibited at the Royal Academy. The choice of ivory laid paper—a fine, smooth support popular among British artists of the period—allowed for the intricate line work that captures subtle textures and expressions, blending graphite underdrawi...
About the Artist
John Downman · 1750–1824
John Downman (1750–1824) was born in Ruabon, near Wrexham, in North Wales. His artistic inclinations proved stronger than any legal ambitions his family held for him, and he began his formal training in Liverpool before enrolling in 1769 among the first intake of students at the newly established Royal Academy Schools in London. There he studied under Benjamin West. In 1773, Downman deepened his e...