Vignette of trophies
19th century
Medium
Wood engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 5/8 × 4 13/16 in. (11.7 × 12.3 cm) Image: 1 3/4 × 2 5/16 in. (4.5 × 5.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.46.433
Art Historical Context
This delicate wood engraving, titled *Vignette of trophies*, was created by an anonymous Mexican artist in the 19th century. Measuring only 1¾ by 2⅝ inches, the compact image exemplifies the precision possible with wood engraving, a technique that rose to prominence during the era for its ability to produce fine lines and durable printing blocks suitable for books, periodicals, and decorative ephemera. In 19th-century Mexico, such small-scale prints often served both ornamental and communicative purposes, reflecting the period’s growing interest in national symbols and visual storytelling fol...