Illustration design for "The Economy of Human Life"
Medium
Watercolor
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 15/16 × 3 1/2 in. (10 × 8.9 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(18)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate watercolor by Frank Howard, created in 1834, serves as a design for an illustration in Robert Dodsley’s popular moral text *The Economy of Human Life*. Measuring just under four inches square, the compact sheet was likely intended for reproduction in a book edition, reflecting the era’s growing demand for illustrated literature that blended ethical teachings with visual storytelling. The tags hint at a scene involving women and dogs, suggesting themes of companionship, domesticity, or virtue that aligned with Dodsley’s reflective prose. Watercolor’s translucent layers made it id...
About the Artist
Frank Howard|Robert Dodsley (British|British) · 1703 |1805 –1764 |1866
British, 1703–1764|British, London 1805–1866 Liverpool