Sketch for Portrait of a Standing Woman

Daniel Huntington's preparatory sketch demonstrates the academic training that defined American portraiture in the late nineteenth century. Working in graphite on aged paper, Huntington establishes the figure's pose and drapery through confident, economical line work. The study captures a woman in three-quarter view, her classical dress rendered with attention to fabric weight and movement. Such working drawings were essential to the portrait painter's practice, allowing artists to resolve composition and anatomy before committing to canvas. Huntington, a prominent New York artist and National Academy of Design president, maintained this rigorous method throughout his long career.