Illustration design for "The Economy of Human Life"
Medium
Pen and ink, brush and wash
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 5/8 × 3 1/8 in. (9.2 × 7.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966
Accession Number
66.542.37(11)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This compact pen-and-ink drawing with brush-and-wash highlights, created in 1834, was designed as an illustration for *The Economy of Human Life*, the popular moral guide first published in 1750 and long attributed to Robert Dodsley. At just 3⅝ by 3⅛ inches, the sheet depicts figures of men, women, and children, suggesting a scene that embodies the book’s lessons on virtue, family, and daily conduct. Frank Howard’s technique—precise line work softened by tonal washes—allowed the small design to translate effectively into print, a common practice for early-nineteenth-century book illustration....
About the Artist
Robert Dodsley|Frank Howard (British|British) · 1703 |1805 –1764 |1866
British, 1703–1764|British, London 1805–1866 Liverpool