Winter on the Common, Boston
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.Having originally set his sights on a career as a painter, Josiah Hawes gave up his brushes for a camera upon first seeing a daguerreotype in 1841. Two years later, he joined Albert Sands Southworth in Boston to form the celebrated photographic studio Southworth & Hawes. Turning to paper-based photography in the early 1850s, Hawes frequently depicted local scenery. This surprising picture, which presents Boston Common through a veil of snow-laden branches, shows that Hawes brought his creative ambitions to the nascent art of photography.
Artwork Details
- Title: Winter on the Common, Boston
- Artist: Attributed to Josiah Johnson Hawes (American, Wayland, Massachusetts 1808–1901 Crawford Notch, New Hampshire)
- Date: early 1850s
- Medium: Salted paper print from glass negative
- Dimensions: Image: 7 5/16 × 9 5/16 in. (18.5 × 23.7 cm)
Sheet: 7 5/16 × 9 5/16 in. (18.5 × 23.7 cm)
Mat: 16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8 cm)
Frame (approx): 16 x 20 - Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: William L. Schaeffer Collection, Promised Gift of Jennifer and Philip Maritz, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary
- Object Number: L.2025.29.5
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
Content Notice
The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.