Book cover with overall red floral pattern
18th century
Medium
Relief print (wood or metal)
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 1/8 × 9 11/16 in. (18.1 × 24.6 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
48.142.71
Art Historical Context
This charming 18th-century book, adorned with an overall red floral pattern, exemplifies the artistry of anonymous craftsmen who elevated everyday objects through printed decoration. Created as a relief print—likely from wood or metal—the design features bold, repeating motifs that would have protected and beautified leather-bound volumes during an era when books were prized possessions. Measuring just 7 1/8 × 9 11/16 inches, it fits neatly as a cover for a modest tome, reflecting the practical scale of personal libraries in Europe or colonial America. Relief printing, a technique where ink i...
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...