Strawberry Pedlar
1870s
Medium
Oil on slate paper
Dimensions
6 1/8 x 9 1/4 in. (15.6 x 23.5 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection of New York Prints, Maps, and Pictures, Bequest of Edward W. C. Arnold, 1954
Accession Number
54.90.506
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the cozy confines of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, William P. Chappel's *Strawberry Pedlar*1870s) captures slice of everyday 19th-century American life This intimate oil painting on slate paper, measuring just 6 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches, likely depicts a woman vendor hawking fresh strawberries door-to-door amid urban houses, with men and dogs adding lively street energy. The modest scale invites viewers to lean in, savoring the textures of fruit, fabric, and architecture rendered in oil's rich luminosity. Painted in the 1870s, the work reflects the bustling peddler economy of post-Civil War America, where seasonal sellers like strawberry hawkers brought farm-fresh goods to city dwellers. Chappel's choice of slate paper—a durable, textured ground typically used for sketches—allowed for bold, direct application of oil, lending a sketch-like immediacy and portability suited to capturing fleeting urban vignettes. Part of The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection, it evokes New York's vibrant neighborhoods, celebrating the human connections in ordinary commerce. This charming gem highlights how small-scale genre scenes preserved the warmth and grit of American daily life, making history feel delightfully close.
About the Artist
William P. Chappel · 1801–1878
American, 1801–1878