Figures, Horses, and Sphinx Entwined in Foliage and Strapwork
19th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, heightened with white. Inlaid along, with 48.148(58a), on paper mount with pink and black framing lines.
Dimensions
2 5/16 x 5 11/16 in. (5.9 x 14.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.148(58b)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate 19th-century German, titled *Figures, Horses, and Entwined in Fage and Strapwork captures an intricate ornamental fantasy. Created anonymously by a skilled draftsman, it features men, women, horses, a mythical sphinx woven amid lush leaves and elaborate strapwork patterns. Measuring just 2 5/16 x 5 11/16 inches, its small scale suggests it was a design study, perhaps for architectural decoration, textiles, or furniture—common in the era's decorative arts. Executed in pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, heightened with white on paper, the work showcases virtuoso techniqu...