Engel - Trinity Church Wandgemälde
1876
John La Farge created this striking angel as a preparatory sketch for his famous murals at Trinity Church in Boston, completed in 1876. Notice the grid lines covering the figure? That's a classic artist trick called 'squaring up,' used to perfectly transfer a small sketch onto a massive wall without losing any proportions. La Farge was a pioneer of the American Symbolist movement, and his work here helped revolutionize church decoration in the United States, moving away from flat designs to something much more dynamic and emotionally resonant. This specific drawing gives us a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the meticulous planning behind one of America's most celebrated interior art projects.