Valentine
ca. 1880
Medium
White card, figures shown in raised cameo embossing; printed with tan background.
Dimensions
Width: 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm) Length: 2 3/8 in. (6 cm)
Classification
Ephemera|Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Richard Riddell, 1981
Accession Number
1981.1136.784
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of Victorian whimsy with *Valentine*, a delicate greeting card created by renowned illustrator Kate Greenaway around 1880. Greenaway, celebrated for her tender depictions of children in her bestselling books like *Under the Window* (1879), captured the innocence of youth here with figures of boys and girls rendered in exquisite detail. This petite card, measuring just 5¾ by 2⅜ inches, embodies her signature style: soft, idealized children dressed in Regency-inspired costumes against a subtle tan background. The artwork's medium—a white card featuring raised came...
About the Artist
Kate Greenaway · 1846–1901
Kate Greenaway (1846–1901) was a British artist and writer who became one of the most beloved children's book illustrators of the Victorian era and a significant influence on children's fashion and popular culture. Born Catherine Greenaway in Hoxton, London, she studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and the Royal Female School of Art, and began her career designing greeting cards and magazine il...