Design for an Oil Lamp and Lid
19th century
Medium
Graphite, brush and gray wash, watercolor, gouache, and gold gilt
Dimensions
sheet: 16 3/4 x 11 1/4 in. (42.6 x 28.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.675.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Design for an Oil Lamp and Lid*, created by an anonymous French artist in the 19 century, offers a glimpse into the refined world of decorative arts during France's opulent era. Rendered on a generous sheet measuring 16 3/4 x 11 1/4 inches, it showcases a meticulously planned oil lamp, complete with a fitted lid—practical yet elegant objects essential to households before widespread electricity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Drawings and Prints, this piece from The Elisha Whittelsey Collection highlights the artistry behind everyday luxury. The drawi...
About the Artist
Anonymous, French, 19th century · 1800–1900
**Anonymous, French, 19th Century (ca. 1800–1900)** The artist cataloged as Anonymous, French, 19th century embodies the enigmatic yet essential contributions of unidentified creators to France's vibrant 19th-century art world. Active roughly between 1800 and 1900, this figure—or potentially collective workshop—produced a diverse array of works amid the nation's transition from Neoclassicism thro...