1830s French Artist, Virgin In Prayer (after A Painting By Sassoferrato)

FRENCH ARTIST OF THE 1830s
PRAYING MADONNA (AFTER A PAINTING BY SASSOFERRATO)

Paper, lithograph, unframed
35 x 26 cm / 13.8 x 10.2 inches

PROVENANCE
France, private collection

Lithography is one of the most important printmaking techniques that radically transformed the artistic landscape of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. First invented in 1796 by the German actor and amateur musician Alois Senefelder, lithography introduced a fundamentally new form of printing based on the flat surface of a lithographic stone. This technique was radically different from traditional woodcut or metal engraving, offering artists the ability to reproduce soft tonal gradations and the finest nuances of drawing on paper.
Lithography emerged somewhat by chance but quickly gained widespread popularity due to its accessibility, precision in reproduction, and relative speed compared to engraving. It proved indispensable for the rapid creation of reproductions of paintings, book illustrations, and particularly religious subjects, which enjoyed enduring popularity among a broad audience.
A special place in history is held by lithographic reproductions of works by old masters, which made great images accessible beyond museums and private collections. In this case, the lithograph is based on The Praying Madonna, an image derived from a 17th-century painting by the Florentine artist Sassoferrato. Its purity of form, reverent simplicity, and delicate play of light and shadow—hallmarks of the original—have been given new life through lithography and reached a wide audience.
This lithograph demonstrates the typical soft and smooth tonal transitions characteristic of the technique, conveying depth and volume to the figure and making the image particularly expressive and vivid. A key feature of lithography is its ability to produce impressions almost indistinguishable from the original drawing, preserving delicate details and texture, which makes it an appealing tool for artists and publishers alike.