Study for "Scientific Group"
Medium
figures
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1942-50-256
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Daniel Huntington's *Study for "Scientific Group (1858) offers a fascinating glimpse into the preparatory process of a mid-19th-century American artist at work. Created as a figure study—likely in pencil or charcoal—this drawing served as a foundational sketch for Huntington's larger composition *Scientific Group*, capturing posed human forms with careful attention to anatomy and proportion. Huntington (1816–1906), a prominent figure in American art, was known for his realistic portrayals of historical, literary, and intellectual themes, reflecting the era's growing emphasis on science and pro...