Faith, Hope, and Charity - Jean Baptiste Michel

A 1786 stipple engraving by Jean Baptiste Michel, depicting the three theological virtues after a painting by Peter Paul Rubens.

This stipple engraving by Jean Baptiste Michel, published in London in 1786, reproduces an allegorical composition originally painted by Peter Paul Rubens. The work depicts the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity, represented through a group of figures arranged in a circular format. The central figure, representing Charity, holds a child who reaches towards a cross, symbolising Faith. To the right, a figure holds an open book, representing Hope, while a dove descends from the clouds above, signifying the Holy Spirit.

Michel was a skilled engraver who moved to London to work for the publisher John Boydell. This print demonstrates the technical precision of the stipple method, which uses small dots to create subtle gradations of tone and soft modelling of the human form. The circular composition, or tondo, is characteristic of eighteenth-century printmaking, often used for decorative purposes or as a refined presentation of classical subjects. The engraving captures the fluid drapery and expressive gestures typical of Rubens, translated into the monochrome medium of ink on paper.

The inclusion of the publisher's details and the coat of arms at the base indicates the commercial nature of the print, which was intended for a sophisticated audience interested in Old Master paintings. By translating oil paintings into engravings, artists like Michel allowed the public to engage with European art history within their own homes. The work remains a fine example of the collaborative relationship between painters and engravers during the late eighteenth century, where the primary goal was the faithful reproduction of complex compositions through meticulous manual labour.