This famous painting is a study of 19th century American realism. The young woman is so naturalistic she could be wearing a Victorian angel costume. Her wings are flounced and gathered like the folds of her dress. However, the sense of spirit is evoked by the angel's rippled wings that rise up behind her as if weightless, toward the violet sky.
      Abbott Handerson Thayer is recognized today for his ethereal angels, portraits of women and children, landscapes, and delicate flower paintings. A New Englander who expressed the spiritual in much of his work, he was known as a "soul painter." In his own time, his work was praised by critics even as it was popular with the public and sought after by collectors.