Vis-a-Vis Sleigh #00
1883–84
Medium
Graphite on tracing paper adhered to wove paper, ink stamp at bottom
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 1/2 × 22 1/2 in. (34.3 × 57.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.2807
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century luxury transport with *Vis-a-Vis Sleigh00*, a precise design drawing by Brewster & Co., America's premier carriage makers based in New York City. Dating to 1883–84, this sleigh design exemplifies the "vis-à-vis" style—a refined, two-passenger vehicle with facing seats, ideal for romantic winter outings or stylish urban jaunts amid the Gilded Age's opulence. Brewster & Co., founded in1810, crafted bespoke sleighs and carriages for the elite, blending craftsmanship with emerging industrial precision. Rendered in graphite on tracing paper adhered to wo...
About the Artist
Brewster & Co.
**Brewster & Co.** Brewster & Company, a premier American coachbuilder renowned for its exquisite carriage designs, was established in 1810 in New Haven, Connecticut, by James Brewster (1788–1866). Born in 1788, Brewster trained as a wagonmaker's apprentice starting at age 16 in Northampton, Massachusetts, before relocating to New Haven, where he set up his workshop and quickly gained acclaim for...