Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921), is recognized today for his ethereal angels, portraits of women and children, landscapes, and delicate flower paintings. A New Englander who expressed the spiritual in much of his work, he was known as a "soul painter." In his own time, his work was praised by critics even as it was popular with the public and sought after by collectors.


Pictured: Virgin Enthroned, 1891, oil, 184.3 x 133.2 cm, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly