Artwork

Indian Antiquities (Copy after Engraving in American Medical and Philosophical Register, 1812)

Indian Antiquities (Copy after Engraving in American Medical and Philosophical Register, 1812) is a watercolor work on paper by the American Folk Art artist Pavel Petrovich Svinin. It dates from 1812 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This watercolor, created around 1812 by Pavel Petrovich Svinin, is a still life depicting three clay pots. It is a copy of an engraving originally published in the American Medical and Philosophical Register.

Subject & Meaning

The painting features three simple clay vessels against a plain background, rendered in varying forms and sizes. The artist's focus on the pots' shapes and the play of light upon them creates a sense of realism.

Technique & Style

Executed in watercolor, gouache, and black chalk on off-white wove paper, the work showcases the artist's skill in capturing the subtleties of light and texture. The use of glazing techniques contributes to the illusion of depth and the pots' three-dimensional appearance.

Artist & collection

Artist

Pavel Petrovich Svinin

Pavel Petrovich Svinyin or Svinin (Russian: Па́вел Петро́вич Свиньи́н; 19 June 1787 – 21 April 1839) was a Russian writer, painter, and editor, known as a "Russian Munchausen" for many exaggerated accounts of his travels.

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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