Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Wharf Rat
(18th and 19th Centuries )
As a child, the artist became familiar with the Baltimore docks located near the Miller family residence on Market Square. He likely would have seen many "wharf rats" like the one in this sketch.
Alfred Jacob Miller was a prolific sketcher. He filled many journals with drawings and captions from the time he was studying in Paris and Rome (1833) until the 1870's. The varied interests of Miller are clearly reflected in these sketches: rural sites, studies after Old Master paintings, illustrations of literature, memories of Baltimore, and comical scenes and characters.
This sketch comes from the family album of L. Vernon Miller, which contains works that have passed down through the Miller family directly from the artist.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Inherited by L. Vernon Miller, Baltimore [1]; inherited by Katherine B. Miller, Baltimore, 1965; given to Decatur Miller, Baltimore, 1982; given to Walters Art Museum, 1994.
[1] passed directly from the artist down through his family.
Exhibitions
| 1996-1997 | The Recollections of Alfred Jacob Miller. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
USA (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 5 5/8 x W: 4 5/8 in. (14.3 x 11.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Decatur H. Miller, 1994
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.2668