Angel

Abbott Handerson Thayer, Angel, 1887, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.112
Copied Abbott Handerson Thayer, Angel, 1887, oil on canvas, 36 1⁄4 x 28 1⁄8 in. (92.0 x 71.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.112
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Artwork Details

Title
Angel
Artist
Date
1887
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
36 1⁄4 x 28 1⁄8 in. (92.0 x 71.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of John Gellatly
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Religion — angel
  • Figure female — waist length
Object Number
1929.6.112

Artwork Description

Abbott Handerson Thayer is recognized today for his ethereal angels, portraits of woman and children, landscapes, and delicate flower paintings. Angel is both a portrait of his daughter Mary at age eleven and an allegory of hope and spirituality. Thayer manipulated the paint with brooms, scrapers, his fingers, and even a paint tube to achieve his effects. The Renaissance-inspired frame, called a tabernacle type, was designed specifically for this painting by American architect Stanford White.

Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.