Constancy (valentine)
c. 1840
Medium
Lithograph with hand-coloring on pinkish cream laid paper
Dimensions
Folded sheet: 18.4 × 11.6 cm (7 1/4 × 4 5/8 in.)
Classification
valentine
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
75352
Art Historical Context
Step into the romantic world of 19th-century courtship with *Constancy (valentine)*, a charming lithograph with hand-coloring on pinkish cream laid paper, around 1840. This petite folded sheet, measuring just18.4 × 11.6 cm, was designed as an intimate greeting card, perfect for slipping into a pocket or envelope. The soft pinkish hue of the laid paper—characterized by its visible chain lines from traditional handmade production—evokes tenderness, while the hand-applied colors add a personal, artisanal flourish to the lithographic print, blending emerging industrial techniques with heartfelt cr...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...