Figure Study for "Communion of the Sick"
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1942-50-118
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Daniel Huntington's *Figure Study for "Commun of the Sick"* (4–45) offers a glimpse into the meticulous preparatory process of one of America's foremost 19th-century painters. Born in 1816, Huntington was a key figure in the New York art scene, serving as president of the National Academy of Design and blending neoclassical precision with emerging American realism. Created early in his career, shortly after his studies in Europe, this work supported his larger painting depicting the Catholic rite of Viaticum—administering communion to the ill—reflecting the era's interest in moral and religiou...