Hot Corn Seller
1870s
Medium
Oil on slate paper
Dimensions
6 1/8 x 9 3/16 in. (15.6 x 23.3 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection of New York Prints, Maps, and Pictures, Bequest of Edward W. C. Arnold, 1954
Accession Number
54.90.497
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling streets of 1870s New City, William P. Chapp *Hot Corn Seller* captures vivid slice of everyday urban life This small oil painting on slate paper depicts a street vendorking roasted corn—a popular snack sold by itinerant "hot corn girls amid the clamor of carriages, houses, roads,, and women. The scale (just 6 1/8 x 9 3/16 inches) draws viewers into the scene's energy, evoking the rapid growth and diversity of post-Civil War America. Chappell, a British-born artist who specialized in American genre scenes, used oil on slate paper—a durable, portable medium ideal for quick, on-the-spot sketches of cityscapes. This technique allowed for rich, textured details despite the modest size, highlighting his realist style influenced by the Hudson River School and urban observers like Eastman Johnson. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, part of The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection, the work reflects the era's fascination with working-class vignettes. *Hot Corn Seller* offers a window into 19th-century immigrant culture and street commerce, immortalizing a fleeting moment when simple vendors fueled the pulse of metropolis. It's a charming reminder of how art preserves the humanity in history's hustle.
About the Artist
William P. Chappel · 1801–1878
American, 1801–1878