Study for Harper's, April
Penfield was the artistic director of Harper and Brothers in the 1890s. His cartoon for the poster advertising the April 1894 issue of Harper’s, which the printers used as a prototype in their process of translating his design into a printed sheet, is composed in ink and wash with hand-cut paper applied to the head, hat, and umbrella as a means of making corrections. The only element of the composition that was not done by hand is the photomechanically printed cutout of the magazine cover, which was likely excised from a printed Harper’s ad. The cartoon provides a glimpse into poster production in the 1890s, when publishing firms such as Harper’s spearheaded technical and stylistic innovations in the field of graphic design.
Artwork Details
- Title: Study for Harper's, April
- Artist: Edward Penfield (American, Brooklyn, New York 1866–1925 Beacon, New York)
- Date: 1894
- Medium: Ink, watercolor, and gouache with cut and pasted painted papers
- Dimensions: Sheet: 15 3/4 × 11 13/16 in. (40 × 30 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Leonard A. Lauder Collection of American Posters, Gift of Leonard A. Lauder, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.421
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.