Beach at Cape May
(18th and 19th Centuries )
Cape May, New Jersey, is among the oldest American seaside resorts, hosting vacationers from the mid-Atlantic region from the 18th century forward. In this drawing, Miller pokes gentle fun at leisure travelers. Two men seated on folding stools sit on the sand despite clouds of annoying insects. The caption reads:
Consolation for the afflicted!-who cannot go to Cape May,-viz-
"Can't get away Club", -"when there is a land breeze,-two gangs of
mosquitoes are laid on!!-the wide-awake squad, reserved for the night!!!"
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, 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
2011 | Setting Sail: Drawings of the Sea from WAM. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
2004 | Recollections of a Baltimore Artist: Sketches by Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874). The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
1996-1997 | The Recollections of Alfred Jacob Miller. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
USA (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 4 5/8 x W: 6 in. (11.7 x 15.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Decatur and Sally 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.
37.2675