The Evening Prayer
1790
Opaque watercolor, over traces of black chalk, on cream laid paper, laid down on card
28.8 × 38.6 cm (11.3 × 15.2 in)
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Not currently on view
In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
Jean-Baptiste Mallet was a painter and printmaker who specialized in small, elegant gouaches (opaque watercolors) of enigmatic subjects, such as this. Arranged like an implausible stage set, a monk-like character and an old man wearing a Phrygian cap appear to reprimand a largely female family who must have fallen on tough times, given that their handsome carpet and ornamental birdcage decorate a rusticated farm building.
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