Study for a Lunette

Charles Sprague Pearce

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of abstract figures in white robes with a blue semicircular backdrop. The painting is composed of two groups of ambiguous figures. On the left side, a cluster of figures in flowing white robes appears to be in motion. The brushwork suggests unity or collective action among them. To the right, a single figure, draped in a white robe with a hint of red at the hem, stands apart. The background features an expansive blue arch. The simplicity of forms and color palette evokes a sense of classical antiquity and narrative depth. This is in the style of James McNeill Whistler.