Study for Christ, Chancel of St. Bartholomew, New York

Francis Augustus Lathrop's preparatory sketch for a monumental church decoration depicts Christ in flowing robes with arms outstretched in blessing or welcome. The figure demonstrates the artist's command of draped fabric and classical proportion—essential skills for large-scale religious commissions of the Gilded Age. Executed in ink and watercolor on tan paper, this study shows the working method of American muralists who adapted European academic traditions for prominent architectural settings. St. Bartholomew's Church on Madison Avenue remained a significant venue for artistic commissions during the 1890s, reflecting the period's investment in ecclesiastical decoration as both spiritual and aesthetic endeavor.