Object details
Object number
ARC.009074
Creator(s)
Henry C. Mercer
(Doylestown, Pennsylvania, 1856 - 1930, Doylestown, Pennsylvania)
Title
Arrangement of Bricks and Moravian Tiles
Date
about 1914
Medium
Crayon rubbing on paper with inscription in graphite
Language
English
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings
Inscribed in pencil (recto, lower middle): Arrangment (sic) of 4" x 8" Bricks / with 2" x 2" Moravian Tiles -
Provenance
Probably a gift from the American archaeologist, collector, and tilemaker Henry C. Mercer (1856-1930) to Isabella Stewart Gardner, 1914.
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner oversaw all the details of the Museum during its design and construction, 1899–1902. She collaborated with the tile maker and owner of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, Henry Chapman Mercer, on the galleries’ custom floors. Mercer sent this sketch to Isabella to propose a layout for the tiles in the Tapestry Room. Ultimately, Isabella chose a simpler arrangement.
Bibliography
Maggie Goldstein, "Henry Mercer's Moravian Pottery and Tile Works at Fenway Court," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 23 January 2024, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/henry-mercers-moravian-pottery-and-tile-works-fenway-court
Gallery
Vatichino
Rights and reproductions
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