A Magic Lantern
January 30, 1799
Medium
Hand-colored etching and aquatint
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 3/16 × 10 1/16 in. (33.5 × 25.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.533.656
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the lively world of late 18th-century London with *A Magic Lantern* (1799), a hand-colored and aquatint by caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson, in collaboration with engraver Henrike and publisher Rudolph Ack. This spirited print captures a bustling magic lantern show, surrounded by an eager crowd of girls, men, and women spectators, their faces illuminated by the flickering light of the early projector-like device. Measuring 13 3/16 × 10 1/16 inches, it exemplifies the satirical humor Rowland was renowned for during the Georgian era. Magic lanterns—precursors to modern slide projectors—...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|Henri Merke|Rudolph Ackermann, London · 1756–1827
Thomas Rowlandson (1757–1827) was an English artist and caricaturist whose satirical watercolors and prints captured the social life of Georgian Britain with unparalleled wit and technical mastery. Alongside James Gillray, he is recognized as one of the greatest British graphic artists, and his distinctive flowing line and keen observations have made his work integral to understanding late 18th an...