Design for a Bookstand
early 19th century
Medium
Pen and ink, watercolor
Dimensions
sheet: 8 7/8 x 11 15/16 in. (22.6 x 30.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1938
Accession Number
38.37.196
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate design for a bookstand, created by an anonymous British artist in the early 19th century, captures the era’s blend of practicality and refined ornament. Rendered in pen and ink with watercolor washes, the drawing likely served as a working proposal for a functional piece of furniture, perhaps intended for a library or study. Its modest sheet size suggests it was part of a larger portfolio of designs, where artists translated everyday needs into elegant forms. In the early 1800s, British designers often produced such studies to guide cabinetmakers and craftsmen, reflecting the pe...