Two Studies of the Artist's Son Charlie

Daniel Huntington's paired sketches capture his son in relaxed poses—reclining and seated—rendered in ink and chalk on paper with fluid economy of line. The studies demonstrate the academic practice of rapid figure drawing from life, a foundational discipline for nineteenth-century American painters. Huntington's notation references "large Chasseur Costumes" and "W. Waldo Stetson," suggesting these may document costume studies or theatrical reference material. The sketches exemplify the working methods that underlay history painting and portraiture in the antebellum era, where artists built their technical mastery through constant observational practice and anatomical study.