Partial Sketch of a Face
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1914-38-277
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Partial Sketch of a Face** by Francis Augustus Lathrop (American, 1849–1909), ca. 1895, offers a glimpse into the intimate creative process of a prominent late-19th-century artist. Lathrop, known for his work as an illustrator, muralist, and designer in the Aesthetic Movement, trained in New York and Europe, drawing inspiration from Pre-Raphaelite precision and decorative arts. This modest sketch from the Smithsonian American Art Museum captures a fragmented human visage, classified under "figures," hinting at studies for portraits, book illustrations, or larger commissions. Created during ...