A Disposition to "Pick-Foul"
Alfred Jacob Miller1825-1870
The Walters Art Museum
Baltimore, United States
Baltimore artist, 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. In 1969 a collection of 100 of these sketches was generously donated to the Walters Art Museum by J. William Middendorf II. The interests of Miller are clearly reflected in these sketches: the theater (a large portion being quick figure drawings of the Ravel Pantomime Troupe), childhood memories, Baltimore scenery, and witty scenes of characters. (See The Walters Art Gallery Bulletin, April, 1969, Vol. 21, No. 7, Pages 3-4).
Young boys are shown tapping eggs together to determine the winner- the one whose egg remains intact at both ends. "Pickin' eggs" was a popular springtime pastime in east coast American cities until a generation ago.
- Title: A Disposition to "Pick-Foul"
- Creator: Alfred Jacob Miller (American, 1810-1874)
- Date Created: 1825-1870
- External Link: For more information about this and thousands of other works of art in the Walters Art Museum collection, please visit art.thewalters.org
- Roles: Artist: Alfred Jacob Miller (American, 1810-1874)
- Provenance: L. Vernon Miller, by inheritance; Kennedy Galleries, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Mr. and Mrs. J. William Middendorf II, New York; Walters Art Museum, 1970, by gift.
- Object Type: albums; drawings; watercolors
- Medium: pencil and white watercolor on paper
- Exhibitions: A Child's-Eye View. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 2006., Alfred Jacob Miller. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1971., Recollections of a Baltimore Artist: Sketches by Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874). The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 2004., Alfred Jacob Miller: An Artist on the Oregon Trail. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth; Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody. 1981-1982., Alfred Jacob Miller: Maryland and the West. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; Washington College, Chestertown; Frostburg State University, Frostburg; Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, Rockville. 1988., A Baltimore Watchman: An Exhibition of Drawings by Alfred Jacob Miller. Government House, Annapolis. 1996., Alfred Jacob Miller: Watercolors and Drawings. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1984.
- Dimensions: 9 1/4 x 8 3/8 in. (23.5 x 21.3 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. William Middendorf II, 1970
- Classification: Painting & Drawing
- Accession Number: 37.2468.28
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