Two Seat Phaeton #568
ca. 1865
Medium
pen and black ink, watercolor
Dimensions
sheet: 6 15/16 x 8 7/8 in. (17.6 x 22.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.1977
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century coachbuilding with *Two Seat Phaeton #*, a delicate design drawing by the renowned New York firm Brewster & Co circa 1865. Founded in 1810, Brewster & Co. was America's premier carriage maker, crafting bespoke vehicles for the elite, from presidents to tycoons. This phaeton—a lightweight, open four-wheeled carriage pulled by horses—represents the pinnacle of pre-automobile luxury transport, prized for its speed, style, and statusCreated just after the Civil War, the drawing captures a two-seater model ideal for leisurely drives or social outings, sho...
About the Artist
Brewster & Co.
**Brewster & Co.** Brewster & Company, a premier American coachbuilder renowned for its exquisite carriage designs, was established in 1810 in New Haven, Connecticut, by James Brewster (1788–1866). Born in 1788, Brewster trained as a wagonmaker's apprentice starting at age 16 in Northampton, Massachusetts, before relocating to New Haven, where he set up his workshop and quickly gained acclaim for...