Study for a Pilot, The Angel of Victory Triptych
Datec. 1941
Artist
Violet Oakley
(American painter and illustrator, 1874–1961)
MediumBrown crayon on paper
Dimensions11 5/8 x 8 5/8 in. (29.5 x 21.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, 2012
Object number2012-23
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextOakley greatly admired the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri for his ability to fuse eternal themes with contemporary subjects. This practice was an important aspect of the composition of these wartime altarpieces, which were part of religious services in distant lands and makeshift locations. The two sketches at left show Oakley’s efforts to include accurate renderings of American airmen to accompany the sacred central figures.