Valentine
1876
Medium
White card, chromolithography, gold lithography
Dimensions
Width: 3 9/16 in. (9 cm) Length: 4 15/16 in. (12.5 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
1981.1136.841
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kate Greenaway’s “Valentine” (1876) captures the Victorian enthusiasm for exchanging printed tokens of affection. A leading illustrator of the period, Greenaway was celebrated for her delicate, nostalgic imagery of figures in Regency-style dress. Here she applies that same gentle charm to a diminutive greeting card, transforming an everyday sentiment into a miniature work of art. Measuring just under five inches, the card was produced using chromolithography for its soft colors and gold lithography for sparkling accents—techniques that made colorful, affordable prints widely available for the...
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...