Figure Study, for The Apotheosis of Pennsylvania, House of Representatives Chamber, Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg c. 1902s

This oil-on-canvas study by Edwin Austin Abbey, created circa the 1900s, features four figures in 18th-century attire, their forms loosely sketched with broad brushstrokes. The figures are posed against a neutral background, their faces partially obscured, suggesting a study for a larger work. This work is a preliminary sketch for Abbey’s monumental mural, "The Apotheosis of Pennsylvania," which depicts the history of the state and adorns the Pennsylvania State Capitol's House of Representatives Chamber.