Book cover with overall pattern of animals
19th century
Medium
Relief print (wood or metal)
Dimensions
Sheet: 14 3/4 in. × 18 in. (37.4 × 45.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.142.192
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming 19th-century book cover, created anonymously, features an enchanting overall pattern of animals including cows, dogs, elephants horses, monkeys, and. Measuring 14¾ × 18 inches (37.4 × 45.7 cm), it exemplifies the decorative flair of printed bookbinding from the era, transforming functional objects into whimsical works of art. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Elisha Whitt Collection (acquired via The Elisha Whittelsey Fund in 1948), it invites viewers to imagine the delight of readers encountering this lively menagerie on the...
About the Artist
Anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...