Study for "The Angelus" 1922

This is a preliminary sketch for Robert Austin's 1922 painting, "The Angelus." The piece depicts the back of a lone male figure, possibly a farmer, standing with a bag at his side and a stick in his hand. The simple, expressive strokes and the depiction of a rural working man are characteristic of Austin's style. The sketch's small size and the artist's signature in the bottom right corner suggest its function as a study for a larger work, revealing the artist's process.