Wagon #313
ca. 1865
Medium
Pen and black ink, watercolor and guache, with gum arabic and metallic ink
Dimensions
sheet: 6 1/16 x 9 11/16 in. (15.4 x 24.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Brewster, 1923
Accession Number
23.112.1960
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th coachmaking with *Wagon #313*, a meticulously rendered design drawing from around 1865 by John W. Britton for the prestigious New York firm Brewster & Co. This piece captures the refined lines of a horse-drawn wagon, likely part of a catalog or proposal showcasing the company's expertise in crafting luxury carriages for America's elite. Produced in the post-Civil War era, reflects a booming carriage industry that symbolized status and innovation just before the automobile's rise. Crafted on a modest sheet measuring 6 1/16 x 9 11/16 inches, the artwork emplo...
About the Artist
Brewster & Co.|John W. Britton
**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...