Sketch of Angels

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

Francis Augustus Lathrop’s “Sketch of Angels,” created around 1895, offers a glimpse into the creative process of an American artist working at the close of the nineteenth century. As a preparatory study classified among figurative works, the piece likely served as an initial exploration of ethereal forms, possibly intended for a larger mural, stained-glass design, or decorative scheme common during that era. Lathrop, active in a period when American artists increasingly blended European academic training with national themes, captured the grace and movement of angelic figures with a sensitivity that reflects both spiritual reverence and artistic experimentation. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this sketch contributes to our understanding of late-Victorian artistic practice, where even unfinished works reveal evolving ideas about light, composition, and symbolism. Though the medium remains unidentified and research on the piece is ongoing, its presence in the national collection underscores the museum’s commitment to preserving the full range of American artistic output—from finished masterpieces to the intimate studies that preceded them. Visitors are invited to appreciate the quiet promise held within such preparatory drawings.