Sandpaper drawings revived a neoclassical taste for monochromatic decorative arts that had gained popularity at the turn of the nineteenth century. Although interest in the technique peaked during the 1850s and 1860s, it was introduced as early as 1835 in B.F. Gandee’s Artist, or Young Ladies’ Instructor in Ornamental Painting, Drawings, &c.; there, because of the resemblance to paintings discovered in ancient Greek villas, it is called “Grecian Painting.” Sandpaper drawing was taught in schools or learned at home from instructions in artists’ manuals. Professional artists such as Silas Wood Jr., an itinerant teacher who coined the term “monochromatic painting,” also practiced the method. Sandpaper drawings actually consisted of charcoal or pastel on a board that had been coated with varnish and then covered with pulverized marble dust sifted through fine muslin. The resulting rough-textured, iridescent surface created a highly effective play of light and shadow, perfect for translating published line engravings into original works of art.

The vast majority of practitioners, whether professional or amateur, based their efforts on published prints on a variety of subjects, though landscapes, seascapes, and city views proved the most popular. This example is based on a lithograph by Nathaniel Currier that was published in New York City in 1851. It is one of several lithographed views that were published in the years following the installation in the park at City Hall of Croton Fountain, erected to commemorate the 1842 construction of an aqueduct from the Croton Dam, in northern Westchester County, New York, to New York City. Abigail Gardner made her drawing in 1853. Little is known about the artist, except she later married Lemuel Roberts, a Methodist minister in Rochester, New York.

Stacy C. Hollander, "View of the Park Fountain & City Hall N.Y.," in American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Museum, 2001), 341.