Artwork
Trinity Church, Boston (nave) - Mural Study
Trinity Church, Boston (nave) - Mural Study is an ink drawing by the Impressionist artist John La Farge. It dates from 1876 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:upper left in graphite: TRINITY. / LAFARGE.DeCEMBER / Oct 1876; center right in brown ink: [not deciphered]
- Markings
- Marked:lower left in red ink: John La Farge stamp (Lugt Supp 2976a)
About this work
Overview
John La Farge’s 1876 study for a mural in the nave of Boston’s Trinity Church is a preparatory drawing executed on gray‑blue wove paper. Rendered with graphite, pen, and brown ink applied both with a brush and directly, the work captures the spatial organization of the interior, focusing on the altar, columns, and decorative elements as a schematic guide for a larger composition.
Subject & Meaning
The sketch depicts the central aisle of the church, highlighting a towering altar adorned with intricate carvings and a modest framed panel that contains a three‑figure scene. Flanking the altar are elongated columns and ornamental reliefs, suggesting a harmonious blend of architecture and narrative imagery that La Farge intended to integrate into the final mural.
Technique & Style
La Farge employed a rapid, gestural approach, using loose lines and varied shading to convey volume and depth. The combination of graphite for structural outlines and brown ink for tonal modeling, applied both by pen and brush, creates a dynamic contrast that emphasizes architectural forms while allowing quick exploration of compositional ideas.
History & Provenance
Created as a working study for the actual mural that would later adorn Trinity Church’s nave, the drawing reflects La Farge’s preparatory process during the church’s post‑Civil War reconstruction. It remains part of the artist’s archival material, documenting the early stages of a significant commission that contributed to his reputation as a leading American muralist.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics.
The Muse of Painting
Portrait of the Painter
The Last Valley - Paradise Rocks
The Entrance to the Tautira River, Tahiti. Fisherman Spearing a Fish
Flowers on a Window Ledge
Autumn Study, View over Hanging Rock, Newport, R.I.
The Island of Moorea Looking across the Strait from Tahiti, January 1891
Double Study of Dawn, Moorea Seen across the Water, Tahiti
Design for the Simcoe Monument, Exeter Cathedral
Perugino's Udienza del Cambio in the Collegio del Cambio, Perugia
Architectural Details for a Wall Decoration with Empress Maria Theresia Embracing the Young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Amiens Cathedral
Corner of a Drawing Room
Ornamental Fireplace
Designs for Monuments
Temple Church
Drawing attributed to Pugin
The Founder's Tomb, Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great
Capilla Real Entablature, Granada- Study of an Altarpiece and Ceiling Panels