Design for Glass Panel Coach, no. 4069

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant world of 19th-century luxury travel with *Design for Glass Panel Coach no. 4069*, a meticulously crafted drawing from 1890 by the renowned New York firm Brewster & Co., with design attributed to Herman Stahmer This petite sheet (6 5/8 x 8 1/2 inches) captures the ornate panel intended for a high-end glass coach, showcasing the firm's mastery in creating bespoke carriages for America's elite during the Gilded Age. Brewster & Co., established in 1810, was synonymous with opulent horse-drawn vehicles, serving presidents, robber barons, and royalty. By 1890, as automobiles loomed on the horizon, such designs represented the pinnacle of traditional craftsmanship—intricate motifs that adorned panels visible through the coach's glass sides, blending functionality with lavish decoration. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1923 by William Brewster, this work preserves a vanishing era of equestrian splendor. Rendered in pen and black ink for precise lines, with watercolor, gouache, and gum arabic for vibrant color and glassy sheen, the medium evokes the reflective quality of the coach's panels themselves. This mixed-media technique highlights the designer's skill in translating three-dimensional luxury into a compact, preparatory sketch, offering visitors a window into the artistry behind America's carriage golden age.

About the Artist

Brewster & Co.|Herman Stahmer · 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...