Preparing for Market
Medium
Graphic Arts-Print
Classification
Graphic Arts-Print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation
Accession Number
1966.48.37
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant lithograph *Preparing for Market* (1856), Nathaniel Currier captures the rhythmic energy of rural American life. Created as part of the prolific output from Currier & Ives—pioneers of affordable, hand-colored prints—this graphic arts piece depicts a family on a bustling farm, surrounded by chickens, dogs, horses, and harvest bounty. The detailed scene shows preparations for market day, evoking the self-sufficient world of 19th-century agrarian communities. Currier's lithography technique revolutionized art accessibility, allowing middle-class households to own colorful, narrati...