The term "The Hours (engraving)" is not a standard designation for a single, globally recognized work of art. Instead, it typically refers to various historical prints and engravings that depict the "Hours" (Horae), which are figures from Greek and Roman mythology representing the divisions of time, the seasons, or the portions of the day.
While several engravings share this title, one of the most documented examples is a stipple engraving produced in 1788 by the Italian artist Francesco Bartolozzi, based on a painting by Maria Cosway. This specific work depicts a group of graceful, winged female figures—representing the Hours—emerging from the clouds and surrounding the chariot of Apollo (or Phoebus). The print was a notable example of the late 18th-century English preference for mythological and allegorical subjects rendered in the stipple technique.
Additionally, series of engravings titled "The Hours" were frequently produced based on the frescoes or designs of Raphael. These sets often personify the different hours of the day and night as classical female figures. Because "The Hours" is a recurring theme in neoclassical and Renaissance-inspired art, the term is descriptive of a genre of allegorical printmaking rather than a specific, singular masterpiece. Without further specification regarding the artist or the period, the term remains an ambiguous descriptor.