Study for "Scientific Group"
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1942-50-255
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Daniel Huntington (1816–1906), a prominent American painter of the 19th century, created this *Study for "Scientific Group"* in 1858. As a preparatory work classified under "figures," it likely captures posed human forms central to Huntington's larger composition, *Scientific Group*. Huntington, active during a era of rapid scientific advancement in the United States, often depicted intellectual and historical themes, reflecting the era's optimism about progress and discovery. This sketch hails from a time when American art emphasized realism and narrative, with artists like Huntington contri...