Valentine
ca. 1880
Medium
White card stock with gilding; chromolithography, gold lithography
Dimensions
Width: 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm) Length: 3 3/8 in. (8.6 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
1981.1136.802
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kate Greenaway’s “Valentine,” created around 1880, captures the Victorian era’s affection for sentimental printed greetings. A leading children’s book illustrator, Greenaway was celebrated for her delicate, nostalgic depictions of children in quaint costumes. This tiny card, measuring just over three inches long, likely shows boys and girls exchanging tokens of affection, reflecting the period’s romanticized view of childhood innocence and courtship rituals. The work demonstrates the artistic possibilities of chromolithography and gold lithography on card stock. These relatively new color-pri...
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...