Design for Brougham, no. 753

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of 19th-century carriage design with *Design for Brougham, no. 753*, a meticulously crafted drawing by the renowned New York firm Brewster & Co., in collaboration with designer Paul Rodissart. Created between 1850 and 1870, this work captures the blueprint for a brougham—a sleek, closed horse-drawn carriage favored by the urban elite for its refined style and privacy. Brewster & Co., established in 1810, was America's preeminent carriage maker, crafting bespoke vehicles for presidents, tycoons, and royalty, embodying the height of Gilded Age luxury before automobiles reshaped travel. Rendered in pen and black ink with watercolor and gouache on a compact 6 x 8¼-inch sheet, the design showcases the precision of commercial drafting techniques. Fine ink lines delineate every curve, panel, and wheel spoke, while subtle washes of watercolor and opaque gouache evoke polished wood, gleaming metal, and rich leather upholstery. This mixed-media approach not only served practical purposes—allowing clients to visualize finishes and details—but also highlighted the artistry in industrial design, blurring lines between craft and fine art. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as a gift from William Brewster in 1923, this piece offers a window into a vanishing era of equestrian sophistication, when carriages were rolling symbols of status and innovation.

About the Artist

Brewster & Co.|Paul Rodissart · 1837–present

**Brewster & Co.** Brewster & Company, a premier American coachbuilder renowned for its exquisite carriage designs, was established in 1810 in New Haven, Connecticut, by James Brewster (1788–1866). Born in 1788, Brewster trained as a wagonmaker's apprentice starting at age 16 in Northampton, Massachusetts, before relocating to New Haven, where he set up his workshop and quickly gained acclaim for...