Design for Landau, No. 4042
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic and metallic ink
Dimensions
sheet: 6 11/16 x 8 7/8 in. (17 x 22.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.145
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century coachmaking with *Design for Landau, No 4042*, a meticulous 1889 drawing by the renowned New York firm Brewster & Co., in collaboration with designer Herman Stahmer. at the peak of the Gilded Age this work captures the luxury of horse-drawn carriages just before automobiles reshaped transportation. Brewster & Co., America's premier carriage makers, catered to the elite with bespoke vehicles like the Landau—a four-wheeled convertible prized for its sophistication and versatility for formal outings. Rendered on a compact sheet (6 11/16 x 8 7/8 in.), t...
About the Artist
Brewster & Co.|Herman Stahmer
**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...