Seated Man Reading a Newspaper (from Sketchbook)
ca. 1838 and after
Medium
Graphite on off-white wove paper
Dimensions
8 x 6 5/8 in. (20.3 x 16.8 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Sheila and Richard J. Schwartz Fund, 1987
Accession Number
1987.196.3p verso
Tags
About this artwork
"Seated Man Reading a Newspaper (from Sketchbook)" by Francis William Edmonds, created in ca. 1838 and after, is executed in graphite on off-white wove paper. This work belongs to the Metropolitan Museum's The American Wing collection. The work measures 8 x 6 5/8 in. (20.3 x 16.8 cm). It originates from American. The artwork entered the museum's collection through sheila and richard j. schwartz fund, 1987.
Art Historical Context
In the quiet intimacy of Francis William Edmonds' *Seated Man Reading a Newspaper (from Sketchbook)*, circa 1838 and later, we glimpse everyday American life through the eyes of a 19th-century artist and banker. Rendered in soft graphite on off-white wove paper, this modest 8 x 6 5/8-inch (20.3 x 16.8 cm) sketch captures a seated man absorbed in his newspaper—a common sight in antebellum households. Edmonds, a member of the National Academy of Design, was renowned for his precise genre scenes inspired by 17th-century Dutch masters, elevating ordinary moments into poignant reflections of middle...
About the Artist
Francis William Edmonds · 1806–1863
Francis William Edmonds, born on November 22, 1806, in Hudson, New York, into a prominent Quaker family as the seventh child of storekeeper and public servant Samuel Edmonds and Lydia Worth Edmonds, displayed remarkable artistic talent from youth. After Quaker schooling and farm work, he entered banking in 1823 as a clerk at the Tradesmen's Bank in New York City under his uncle Gorham Worth, a pat...