A Bravura Air. Mandane
December 22, 1801
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate line): 14 7/16 x 10 1/4 in. (36.7 x 26 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.888-84
Tags
Art Historical Context
James Gillray, one of Britain's most celebrated caricaturists, created *A Bravura Air. Mandane* in 1801, published by Hannah Humphrey. This etching captures the theatrical flair of early 19th-century opera, satirizing a female singer—likely in the role of Mandane Thomas Arne's popular opera *Artaxerxes*—belting out a dramatic "bravura". Gillray's sharp wit shines through exaggerated features and dynamic poses, poking fun at the exaggerated virtuosity prized in London's vibrant theater scene during the Regency era. As a hand-colored etching, the print exemplifies the technical mastery of the m...