Design for Omnibus or Wagonette, no. 4052
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic
Dimensions
sheet: 6 5/16 x 8 15/16 in. (16 x 22.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.526
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate design drawing from 1889, titled *Design for Omnibus orette, no. 4052*, captures the elegance of late 19th-century horse-drawn transport by Brewster & Co., a premier New York carriage maker, with contributions from designer Herman Stahmer. as a proposal for an omnibus or wagonette—a versatile for group travel or leisure—the sheet showcases the firm's reputation for crafting luxurious, custom conveyances for America's elite during the Gilded Age. Rendered in pen and black ink with watercolor and gouache enhanced by gum arabic for a glossy finish, the work exemplifies the precisio...
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...