Design for Wagonette or Omnibus (unnumbered)
1850–70
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic
Dimensions
sheet: 6 1/16 x 8 in. (15.4 x 20.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.1944
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate design drawing by Brewster & Co., a premier New York carriage manufacturer active in the mid-19th century, the elegance of a wagonette or omnibus from around 1850–. Titled *Design for Wagonette ornibus (unnumbered)*, it exemplifies the firm's renowned craftsmanship in creating luxury horse-drawn vehicles for the elite, at a time when such conveyances symbolized status and refined travel before the automobile era. Rendered on a modest 6 1/16 x 8 in. sheet, the work employs pen and black ink for precise lines, enhanced by watercolor, gouache, and gum arabic for vibrant color and s...
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...