Sally in Our Alley, from Illustration for "Sally in Our Alley" by H. Carey)
ca. 1886
Medium
Pen and ink on cardboard
Dimensions
sheet: 17 3/8 x 12 3/8 in. (44.1 x 31.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.923
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edwin Austin Abbey, a American illustrator of the late 19th century, created *Sally in Our Alley* around 1886 as part of his illustrations for Henry Carey's beloved 18th-century English of the same name. The poem celebrates simple, heartfelt romance in everyday urban life, and Abbey's drawing captures this spirit with a lively street scene featuring men, women, buildings, and even a dog—evoking the bustling alleys of old London. Abbey, influenced by Pre-Raphaelite precision and Victorian narrative art, excelled in translating literature into visual storytelling, making works like this a bridge...
About the Artist
Edwin Austin Abbey · 1852–1911
Abbey was one of the leading illustrators during the last quarter of the 19th century. He specialized in illustrating poems and historic novels, including the works of Shakespeare, Pope, and Goldsmith. American illustrator and mural painter. Comment on works: illustrations