American Art Collaborative

Miller sets the scene of this comical sketch with this caption: "Lady of the mansion gives strict orders that there is to be no drinking or smoking at her parties. - The law is evaded by the young gents in the last case with considerable discomfort & seats in the chimney." 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. The varied interests of Miller are clearly reflected in these sketches: rural sites, studies after Old Master paintings, illustrations of literature, and comical scenes and characters. This sketch comes from the family album of L. Vernon Miller, which contains works that have passed down through the Miller family directly from the artist.