Grabeau
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Accession Number
S/NPG.2018.83.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Grabeau" is a striking silhouette print created in 1840 by John Warner Barber, a prolific 19th-century American engraver and illustrator (1798–1885). Barber gained fame for his detailed historical views, portraits, and contributions to illustrated books chronicling American life and events. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's National Portrait Gallery collection, this work exemplifies the era's popular printmaking traditions, offering an accessible window into pivotal figures of the time. The portrait depicts Grabo, tagged as a male insurrectionist, rendered in the classic silhou...