Henry Kellam Hancock

Henry Kellam Hancock is an artist documented as active in 1805. Without specific biographical details, the artist’s known output is defined by a small, distinct group of decorative works preserved in major American institutions.

The artist is represented in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art by five specific pieces, primarily executed in the form of appliqués and ornamental reliefs. These works reflect the period’s interest in classical and mythological themes, including the subjects Cupid and Venus Appliqué, River God Appliqué, and Smithy Cupid Appliqué. Other documented decorative forms held in the collection include the Escutcheon and the detailed Swans and Fountain Appliqué.

The preservation of these objects confirms their historical and artistic value as museum-quality examples of applied arts from the early nineteenth century. Though documentation regarding Henry Kellam Hancock prints and drawings is currently unavailable, reproductions of these early decorative works are frequently made available in the public domain for research and study.