Cadwallader David Colden, Mayor of New York City

Art Historical Context

This engraving captures Cadwallader David Colden, who served as mayor of New York City in the early nineteenth century. Created around 1825, the print reflects the era’s growing interest in commemorating civic leaders through accessible portraiture. As the first state of two, it offers a rare glimpse into the printmaking process, preserving the image before later refinements were added to the plate. The work resulted from a collaboration among several skilled hands. Samuel Lovett Waldo painted the original portrait, while Asher B. Durand and Peter Maverick translated it into engraving through the firm P. Maverick, Durand & Co. Engraving allowed such likenesses to circulate widely, turning private commissions into public documents of leadership and character. The precise lines and tonal shading typical of the medium convey both dignity and detail. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of prints, this piece highlights how early American artists blended European techniques with local subjects. Its donation by Mrs. Frederic F. Durand in 1930 further connects the work to the artist’s own family legacy.

About the Artist

Asher Brown Durand|Peter Maverick|Samuel Lovett Waldo|Cadwallader David Colden|P. Maverick, Durand & Co. · 1796–1886

Was a principal member of the Hudson River School. American artist; associated with the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Comment on works: Portraits