Figures
Classification
architecture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Henrietta Haller
Accession Number
1904-16-235
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Figures** by Robert Frederick Blum (1857–3) captures a moment from the artist's early career in 1879, when he was a promising 22-year-old American honing his skills in New and Chicago. Blum, celebrated for his elegant illustrations, watercolor scenes of Venice, and Japanese-inspired aesthetics, bridged realism and impressionism during the Gilded Age. This work, classified under architecture, likely explores human forms within built environments—a nod to the era's fascination with urban growth and ornamental design, reflecting America's post-Civil War architectural boom. Housed in the Smiths...