Design for Coupé, no. 1021
1850–70
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic
Dimensions
sheet: 6 x 8 5/16 in. (15.2 x 21.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.1859
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of mid-19th-century American luxury transport with *Design for Coupé,. 1021* by Brewster & Co., a New York carriage manufacturer active from the 1810s to the early 20th century. Created between 1850 and 1870, this delicate drawing captures the firm's meticulous approach to crafting high-end horse-drawn vehicles for the elite, just before automobiles began to eclipse carriages. A coupé was a sleek, enclosed two-passenger carriage prized for its elegance and privacy, often featuring polished wood, brass fittings, and fine upholstery. Brewster & Co. catered to society...
About the Artist
Brewster & Co.
**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...