Study of Putti with Drapery

Francis Augustus Lathrop's delicate study captures two cherubic figures rendered in brown ink wash, their forms emerging from carefully observed drapery folds. The artist employs loose, gestural linework for the filmy fabrics while modeling the figures' faces and bodies with greater precision. This preparatory sketch reveals the academic training typical of late nineteenth-century American artists—study from classical subjects like putti (cherubs) remained fundamental to artistic practice. Lathrop, known for his work in decorative arts and illustration, uses the page itself as an active compositional element, letting the paper's texture collaborate with the ink. The archival stamp suggests institutional collection and preservation, marking this working study as worthy of scholarly attention.