Collections: American Art: Rockdale, Near Manayunk, PA

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Rockdale, Near Manayunk, PA

The monochromatic palette of grays in this watercolor—called grisaille—speaks to the German-born August Kollner’s training in black-and-white lithography. Although he was employed primarily as an illustrator and printmaker after settling in Philadelphia in 1839, Kollner was also an indefatigable landscape sketcher. During his extensive travels throughout the Northeast, he recorded the scenery in drawings that he would later finish in watercolor. Here the seated figure in the foreground might represent the artist making studies for this work.


• Artist: August Kollner, American, 1813-1907
• Medium: Watercolor, graphite, and black ink on cream, moderately thick, smooth-textured wove paper
• Dates: 1865
• Dimensions: 10 7/16 x 13 in. (26.5 x 33 cm) Frame: 17 7/8 x 23 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (45.4 x 60.6 x 3.8 cm)
• Signature: Signed and dated lower right: "AK. fec. May 14, 1865"
• Inscriptions: Inscribed lower left in black ink: "Rockdale, near Manayunk, Pa." and below this in graphite "Rockdale" Inscribed on verso: "Rockdale, above Manaymill[?] / May 14th, 1865"
• Collections: American Art
• Museum Location: This item is not on view
• Accession Number: 82.193.2
• Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard L. Milberg
• Image: Overall, 82.193.2_transp2751.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
August Kollner (American, 1813-1907). Rockdale, Near Manayunk, PA, 1865. Watercolor, graphite, and black ink on cream, moderately thick, smooth-textured wove paper, 10 7/16 x 13 in. (26.5 x 33 cm) Frame: 17 7/8 x 23 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (45.4 x 60.6 x 3.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard L. Milberg, 82.193.2 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 82.193.2_transp2751.jpg)