Sketch of an Angel and Putti
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1914-38-178
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Francis Augustus Lathrop (9–1909), an American artist influenced by the Aesthetic Movement and Pre-Rapite traditions, created this delicate *Sketch of an Angel and Putti* around 1895. in Europe and known for his intricate illustrations, murals, and decorative designs, Lathrop often drew on classical and Renaissance motifs, blending them with a refined, ornamental style suited to the Gilded Age's taste for beauty and symbolism. The sketch depicts an angel accompanied by playful putti—those cherubic childlike figures from Italian Renaissance art, evoking themes of divine innocence, love, and ce...