Silhouette of Nathaniel Babson of Gloucester, Massachusetts
Medium
Cut paper against a lithographic background
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 7/8 × 10 11/16 in. (35.2 × 27.1 cm)
Classification
Cut Paper|Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Glenn Tilley Morse Collection, Bequest of Glenn Tilley Morse, 1950
Accession Number
50.602.138
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 19th century, like *Silhouette of Nathaniel Bab of Gloucester, Massachusetts* captured the elegance of profile portraits using simple yet striking techniques. Created by William Henry Brown between 1828 and 1883, this work features delicately cut black paper mounted against a lithographic background, measuring 13 7/8 × 10 1116 inches. The medium—classified as cut paper, prints, and ephemerahighlights a democratized art form popular before photography's rise, allowing affordable likenesses for middle-class families. Silhouettes emerged as a refined craft in America and Europe, oft...