details of figure studies
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
Accession Number
1955-38-54
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), a prominent American artist who spent much of his career in Italy, created *Details of Figure Studies* around 1885. This drawing Vedder's fascination with the human form, recurring theme in his oeuvre influenced by Renaissance masters and the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Working during a period when American artists sought inspiration abroad, Vedder blended mystical symbolism with precise anatomical observation, often preparing grander paintings and illustrations through such sketches. As a preparatory drawing, this work reveals the artist's meticulous process—capturing ...