About Abbott Handerson Thayer
American · 1849–1921 · landscape painting
American[1] Gilded Age painter celebrated for his angel series, and the originator of the countershading camouflage theory that bears his name.
Read full biography →Abbott Handerson Thayer's works are held in 20 museums worldwide, including Smithsonian American Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
🇺🇸 United States
20 museums
- 44 works
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Old Patent Office Building, United States
- 5 works
Brooklyn Museum
New York City, United States
- 5 works
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Boston, United States
- 4 works
Vanderbilt Museum of Art
Nashville, United States
- 3 works
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
Sun–Tue, Thu 10:00–17:00; Fri–Sat 10:00–21:00; closed WedAdults $30, students $17 (pay-what-you-wish for NY residents)86 St (4, 5, 6)Confirm on museum website before visiting. - 3 works
Harvard Art Museums
Cambridge, United States
- 2 works
RISD Museum
Providence, United States
- 2 works
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis, United States
- 2 works
Cleveland Museum of Art
Wade Park, United States
- 2 works
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C., United States
Mon–Sat 10:00–17:00, Sun 11:00–18:00FreeArchives – Navy Memorial (Green & Yellow)Confirm on museum website before visiting. - 2 works
New Britain Museum of American Art
New Britain, United States
- 1 works
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, United States
- 1 works
Princeton Art Museum
Princeton, United States
- 1 works
Museo de Arte de Worcester
Worcester, United States
- 1 works
Freer Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C., United States
- 1 works
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee, United States
- 1 works
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Buffalo, United States
- 1 works
Toledo Museum of Art
Toledo, United States
- 1 works
Detroit Institute of Arts
Midtown Detroit, United States
- 1 works
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles, United States
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Abbott Handerson Thayer?
Abbott Handerson Thayer was an artist who trained in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts before returning to America. He is known to have studied under Henri Lehmann and Jean-Leon Gerome in the late 1870s.What is Abbott Handerson Thayer known for?
Abbott Handerson Thayer is known for painting women with wings. He also developed Thayer's Law, the countershading principle of camouflage, and co-authored Concealing-Coloration in the Animal Kingdom in 1909[1].What was Abbott Handerson Thayer's art style?
Thayer used a classical technique he learnt in France, which he then put in service of idealised figures set against luminous, unspecific backgrounds. His Angel (1887[1]) is an example of this.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Abbott Handerson Thayer's works across the following collections.
- [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Abbott Handerson Thayer Used for: biography.
- [2] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
- [3] book Penelope J.E. Davies, Walter B. Denny, Frima Fox Hofrichter, Joseph Jacobs, Ann S. Roberts, David L. Simon, Janson's History of Art_ The Western Tradition (8th Edition) Used for: biography.
- [4] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-15. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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