First Premium Design for the Capitol of Ohio at Columbus by Walter of Cincinnati
ca. 1839
Medium
Watercolor, ink and graphite
Dimensions
sheet: 16 3/4 x 12 13/16 in. (42.5 x 32.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1924
Accession Number
24.66.575
Tags
Art Historical Context
Imagine stepping into the ambitious world of 19th-century American architecture with Alexander Jackson Davis's *First Premium Design for the of Ohio at Columbus by of Cincinnati* (ca 1839). This drawing, created in watercolor, ink, and graphite a 16 3/4 x 12 13/16-inch sheet, captures a visionary proposal for Ohio's state capitol. Davis, a figure in the Greek Revival movement submitted this under the pseudonym "Walter of Cincinnati" for a prestigious design competition, earning a top "premium" award and highlighting the era's fervor for grand public buildings inspired by ancient Greek temples....
About the Artist
Alexander Jackson Davis · 1803–1892
Alexander Jackson Davis (1803–1892) was a pioneering American architect whose imaginative designs helped define the nation's picturesque country house tradition. Born in New York City on July 24, 1803, Davis received an informal education, studying drawing at the American Academy of the Fine Arts, the New-York Drawing Association, and the antique casts at the National Academy of Design. He apprent...