Sainte Agnès
1895
Medium
lithograph in green on calendared wove paper
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection, gift in memory of Virginia H. Jackson
Accession Number
1996.151.169
Art Historical Context
Jean Danguy’s “Sainte Agnès,” created in 1895, offers a quiet yet evocative tribute to the early Christian martyr through the refined medium of lithography. Printed in a single green ink on smooth calendared wove paper, the work demonstrates the artist’s command of this reproductive technique, which allowed subtle tonal gradations and crisp detail to be achieved on a surface ideal for fine printmaking. The monochromatic green palette lends the composition an ethereal, almost otherworldly atmosphere that suits the saint’s traditional attributes of purity and steadfast faith. As a lithograph fr...