Valentine
1850–60
Medium
Open-work, cameo embossed paper, chromolithographed die-cut scraps, colored paper
Dimensions
Width: 3 11/16 in. (9.3 cm) Length: 5 5/16 in. (13.5 cm)
Classification
Ephemera|Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Richard Riddell, 1981
Accession Number
1981.1136.579
Art Historical Context
Step into the sentimental world of mid-19th-century America with *Valentine* by Esther Howland, between 1850 and 1860. Howland, often hailed as the "Mother of the Valentine" in the United States, the mass production of elaborate greeting cards inspired by British imports. This delicate ephemera piece, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection, captures the Victorian era's romantic fervor, when Valentine's Day blossomed into a commercial phenomenon. At just 3⅝ by 5¼ inches, it was designed to be mailed or hand-delivered, evoking heartfelt emotions through intricate ...
About the Artist
Esther Howland · 1828–1904
American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1828–1904 Quincy, Massachusetts