Study of a seated woman in costume
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
Accession Number
1955-38-35
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Elihu Vedder’s “Study of a seated woman in costume,” created around 1890, captures a quiet moment of artistic observation. As an American artist who spent much of his career abroad, Vedder used drawings like this to explore pose, drapery, and character before developing larger compositions. The work’s classification as a drawing underscores its role as a preparatory study rather than a finished painting, offering viewers a direct look at the artist’s working process during the late nineteenth century. Drawings of this kind were essential tools for artists of Vedder’s era, allowing them to exp...