Study of Altarpiece of Saint-Germer-de-Fly

American designer Francis Augustus Lathrop created this watercolor study documenting five robed figures from a medieval French altarpiece. The work demonstrates careful observation of ecclesiastical vestments and pose—note the varying drape of fabrics and the deliberate positioning of hands and bodies. Lathrop's precise rendering in gouache and ink reflects the 19th-century practice of copying historical religious art for scholarly and design purposes. This study likely informed his later decorative work, as Lathrop became known for architectural ornament and interior design that drew on historical precedent. The hatched background and muted palette are typical of architectural presentation drawings of the period.