Artist’s Wife and Child 

This is a pencil drawing by Benjamin West, likely a preliminary sketch for a larger painting. The work depicts a woman, possibly the artist’s wife, seated and looking down at a sleeping child in a crib. The scene is framed by a doorway that reveals a biblical scene: the Virgin Mary cradling a baby. This composition, combined with the simple lines and the lack of detail, suggests that West was exploring the relationship between domesticity and religious faith, a common theme in his work.