Madonna and Child with Angels
c. 1700
Medium
Pen and brown ink, heightened with white gouache, on gray laid paper with blue fibers, laid down on ivory laid card
Dimensions
21.9 × 18 cm (8 5/8 × 7 1/8 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
84377
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This intimate drawing by Johann Carl Loth presents the timeless subject of the Madonna and Child with angels, a theme central to Christian devotional art for centuries. Created around 1700, the work captures a moment of quiet tenderness between mother and child, surrounded by celestial figures, reflecting the enduring spiritual significance of Marian imagery in European culture during the late Baroque period. Loth employed pen and brown ink heightened with white gouache on gray laid paper to achieve luminous effects and subtle modeling. The white highlights stand out dramatically against the cool gray background, giving volume to the figures and a sense of divine light. Measuring just 21.9 by 18 centimeters, the drawing’s small scale invites close viewing, revealing the artist’s skilled draftsmanship and the tactile qualities of the medium. Now part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings collection, this piece exemplifies how works on paper served both as independent devotional objects and as studies for larger paintings, preserving the artist’s hand and creative process for modern audiences.