“This elegant engraving is a printer's trade card from 1832, blending classical imagery with tools of the trade to advertise a business with artistic flair. It's a window into how commercial art once merged beauty and function.”
This engraving, a trade card for printer C. F. Partington, offers a fascinating glimpse into the commercial world of 1832. At its center, a classical muse, possibly Urania, points to a celestial globe, her gaze directed upward as if drawing inspiration from the heavens. She is surrounded by the tools of the printer's trade: books, scrolls, and what appears to be a printing press in the background, subtly suggesting the fusion of knowledge, art, and industry. The intricate details of the drapery and the serene expression of the figure elevate this functional advertisement beyond mere commerce, transforming it into a small work of art. It speaks to a time when even business cards were designed with an eye toward aesthetic appeal and symbolic meaning.
- Artist
- William Edward West
- Date
- 1832
- Medium
- Engraving
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- Sheet: 11 in. × 8 11/16 in. (28 × 22.1 cm)
- Collection
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Gift of Bella C. Landauer, 1926
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The celestial globe, a symbol of knowledge and astronomy, held by the central figure.
The printing press visible in the background, subtly indicating Partington's trade.
The classical drapery of the muse, rendered with delicate, flowing lines.
The stack of books and scrolls at the figure's feet, representing literature and learning.
1 more detail is waiting.
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William Edward West
1788–1857 · United StatesWilliam Edward West, an American portrait painter, captured the likenesses of wealthy families and collaborated with author Washington Irving.
Further Works by West
Queen Philippa at the Battle of Neville's Cross
Art Institute of Chicago
The Death of Procris
Art Institute of Chicago
Misty Mountains
1821 · Art Institute of Chicago
Alexander's Confidence with his Physician Philip
Art Institute of Chicago
The Confessional
1847 · New York Historical
Christ Blessing the Children
Theatrical Leap Frog
1804 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
A column of oriental travelers scattered by a dust storm
1820 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond West: works from the same years.
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Eugène Delacroix · 1826 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1810s–1840s
The Fortune Teller (La Bonne Aventure)
Jacques-Louis David · 1824 · Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Same era · 1810s–1840s
Amédée-David, the Comte de Pastoret
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres · 1823 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1810s–1840s
Saturn Devouring His Son
Francisco Goya · 1820 · Museo del Prado
Same era · 1810s–1840s
Young Woman
Jean-François Millet · 1844 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1810s–1840s
Two Men Contemplating the Moon
Caspar David Friedrich · 1819 · Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Same era · 1810s–1840s
Mr. James Mackie
Samuel Alcock & Company · 1830 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1810s–1840s
The Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge)
John Philip Simpson · 1827 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1810s–1840s
Woman in a Blue Dress
School of William Matthew Prior · 1840 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1810s–1840s
The Five Points
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1822 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art