Vis-a-Vis Sleigh #712
ca. 1880
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gold ink
Dimensions
sheet: 6 3/16 x 8 7/8 in. (15.7 x 22.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.1457
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the wintry elegance of the Gilded Age with *Vis-a-Vis Sleigh712*, a exquisite design drawing by the renowned New York carriage makers Brewster & Co., circa 1880. detailed rendering showcases a luxurious vis-à-vis sleigh—a twoated carriage with facing benches ideal for intimate winter outings—model number 712 from the firm's prestigious catalog. Brewster & Co. was celebrated for crafting bespoke vehicles for America's elite, blending functionality with opulent style during the horse-drawn era's final flourish. Rendered in pen and black ink with watercolor, gouache, and shimmering gol...
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...