Valentine
1880
Medium
Cameo-embossed paper, chromolithography, red ink, graphite
Dimensions
Width: 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm) Length: 2 13/16 in. (7.2 cm)
Classification
Ephemera|Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Richard Riddell, 1981
Accession Number
1981.1136.635
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this *Valentine* from 1880 captures the sentimental spirit of Victorian romance. Created anonymously and measuring just 4 1/16 by 2 13/16 inches, it exemplifies ephemera—those delicate, once-disposable items like greeting cards that now offer a window into everyday 19th-century life. Gifted by Mrs. Richard Riddell 1981, this petite work blends ornamentation with architectural motifs, reflecting the era's love for intricate, decorative designs in personal correspondence. The artwork showcases innovative printing techni...
About the Artist
Anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...