Drapery Study
Medium
figures
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1914-38-154
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Drapery Study** by Francis Augustus Lath (American, 1849–1909), created around 1895, offers a glimpse into the meticulous preparatory work of a prominent Gilded Age artist. Lathrop, trained in Europe under masters like Edward Burne-Jones, blended Pre-Raphaelite precision with the Aesthetic Movement's on beauty and craft. He later gained fame for stained-glass designs and murals, often for institutions like Trinity Church in Boston. This piece, housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, exemplifies his skill in rendering fabric—a cornerstone of academic training that bridged fine art and ...