Design for Wagon, no. 823
ca. 1860
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic
Dimensions
sheet: 6 1/16 x 9 in. (15.4 x 22.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.2018
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century coachbuilding with *Design for Wagon, no. 823* by Brewster & Co., a American carriage manufacturer founded in New York around 1810. Dating to circa 1860, precise drawing captures the firm's meticulous approach to crafting luxury wagons for the elite. At a modest sheet size of 6 1/16 x 9 inches, it exemplifies the blend of artistry and engineering that defined Brewster's renowned vehicles, favored by figures like the Vanderbilts and presidents. Rendered in pen and black ink with watercolor, gouache, and gum arabic, the design highlights sophisticated...
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...