Merchant of Plaster Figures

Art Historical Context

In the early 19th century, artist Carle Vernet1758–1836), renowned for his dynamic depictions of horses, military life, and everyday Parisian scenes, captured the bustling street commerce of his time in *Merchant of Plaster Figures*ca. 1822). This lithograph portrays a vendor peddling small plaster casts—affordable replicas of classical sculptures among artists, students, and collectors in post-Revolutionary France. Vernet's keen eye for character and atmosphere brings the lively vendor to life, reflecting the era's vibrant urban culture amid the Romantic shift toward celebrating ordinary folk. As one of the earliest printmaking techniques, lithography allowed artists like Vernet to draw directly on stone with greasy crayon, producing rich tonal effects and multiple impressions cheaply. Invented just two decades earlier, it democratized art, making Vernet's vivid genre scenes accessible beyond elite patrons. Printed on a modest sheet (10 1/16 × 6 5/16 in.), this work exemplifies the medium's precision and Vernet's mastery in evoking motion and texture. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department through The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, *Merchant of Plaster Figures* offers a window into 1820s Paris, where art and commerce intertwined on the streets. It's a charming reminder of how everyday trades fueled the creative spirit of the age.

About the Artist

Carle (Antoine Charles Horace) Vernet · 1758–1836

**Carle Vernet** (Antoine Charles Horace Vernet, 1758–1836) was a prominent French painter renowned for his dynamic depictions of horses, hunting scenes, and Napoleonic battle subjects. Born in Bordeaux as the youngest child of the celebrated marine and landscape painter Claude-Joseph Vernet, he displayed an early and intense passion for drawing horses from the age of five. He received a conventio...