University of Michigan (elevation and plan)

Art Historical Context

Alexander Jackson Davis’s 1838 drawing presents both an elevation and a plan for the University of Michigan, capturing the architect’s vision for what would become one of America’s leading public institutions. At a time when the university was still establishing its campus in Ann Arbor, Davis’s carefully rendered design offered a refined, collegiate image suited to the young nation’s growing educational ambitions. Executed in graphite, ink, and watercolor on a modest sheet, the work exemplifies the period’s standard practice for architectural presentation drawings. The delicate washes of colo...

About the Artist

Alexander Jackson Davis · 1803–1892

Alexander Jackson Davis (1803–1892) was a pioneering American architect whose imaginative designs helped define the nation's picturesque country house tradition. Born in New York City on July 24, 1803, Davis received an informal education, studying drawing at the American Academy of the Fine Arts, the New-York Drawing Association, and the antique casts at the National Academy of Design. He apprent...