Pier Glass
1850–1904
Medium
Pen and ink and watercolor
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Jessie F. Hume, 1930
Accession Number
30.16.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings Prints department, *Pier Glass* by Robert William Hume (active 1850–1904) is a delicate pen-and-ink and watercolor drawing that captures the elegance of Victorian-era ornamental architecture. Dating to the artist's productive period, this work depicts a pier glass—a tall, narrow mirror designed to stand between windows in grand interiors, often adorned with intricate frames to enhance room symmetry and reflect opulent surroundings. Hume's precise lines and subtle watercolor washes bring to life the elaborate scrollwork and architectural deta...
About the Artist
Robert William Hume · 1816–1904
Robert William Hume (1816–1904) was a British artist and craftsman who contributed to the documentation of decorative arts and design in nineteenth-century Britain. Working during the Victorian era, Hume was part of a generation of artists and designers who combined artistic skill with antiquarian interests, producing detailed studies and records of historical objects, ornamental patterns, and arc...