Sketch of an Angel

This pencil and crayon sketch depicts a cherub or putto holding a large circular object—possibly a mirror or celestial orb—while gesturing toward a second winged figure. The drawing exemplifies late-nineteenth-century academic approaches to allegorical and decorative subjects. Francis Augustus Lathrop, an American architect, designer, and illustrator, worked across multiple media including stained glass, murals, and book illustration. His graphic work influenced the visual development of American commercial illustration during the Arts and Crafts movement, establishing conventions for figure drawing that would inform magazine and newspaper imagery into the early twentieth century.