Study for Head of the Madonna

Francis Augustus Lathrop's ink sketch explores the classical subject of the Madonna through loose, gestural linework. The artist worked in multiple media—painting, illustration, and decorative arts—during the late nineteenth century. This study demonstrates the preparatory methods artists employed before executing finished works, capturing the head in profile with flowing drapery rendered through confident pen strokes. The aged paper and archival markings document its institutional preservation, reflecting how such drawings became valued as records of artistic process.