The Velocipede (1869) by Currier and Ives

The Velocipede - Currier and Ives - 1869

Artwork Information

TitleThe Velocipede
ArtistCurrier and Ives
Date1869
Art MovementRomanticism

About The Velocipede

The artwork, titled “The Velocipede,” is a genre painting created by Currier and Ives in 1869. This piece belongs to the Romanticism art movement and illustrates a scene characteristic of the era’s fascination with innovation and pastoral life.

The artwork depicts a gentleman riding a velocipede, an early form of bicycle with a large front wheel and a smaller rear wheel. The rider is dressed in period attire, complete with a hat adorned with a feather, suggesting a sense of refinement and propriety. In the background, a horse and its rider appear to be racing or following the velocipede along a dirt path. The setting is an open, pastoral landscape with gently rolling fields extending to the horizon, offering a serene backdrop to the dynamic movement of the figures. The colors are softly blended, contributing to the romantic and idyllic quality of the scene. Through this composition, Currier and Ives capture a moment of leisure and technological novelty reflective of the period.

Other Artwork from Currier and Ives

More Romanticism Artwork

Scroll to Top