Banknote vignette with three putti as a shepherd, a farmer, and a sailor
Medium
Engraving and etching; proof
Dimensions
plate: 1 15/16 x 2 11/16 in. (5 x 6.8 cm) sheet: 3 7/16 x 5 9/16 in. (8.8 x 14.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Joseph Veach Noble, 2002
Accession Number
2002.333.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate engraving and etching by Asher Brown Durand, created around 1824–1837, served as a proof for anote vignette produced by his firm, A. B. & C. Durand & Company. In the early nineteenth century, such intricate designs were essential for American currency, helping to deter counterfeiting through fine detail and symbolic imagery. Durand, who later became a leading figure in the Hudson River School of landscape painting, honed his precision in these commercial works before turning to fine art. The vignette charmingly depicts three putti embodying key occupations: a shepherd tending sh...
About the Artist
Asher Brown Durand|A. B. & C. Durand & Company|Durand, Perkins, and Company · 1796–1886
Was a principal member of the Hudson River School. American artist; associated with the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Comment on works: Portraits