A Scene at Newmarket: A Shot at a Hawk [Pigeon]
![A Scene at Newmarket: A Shot at a Hawk [Pigeon] by Thomas Rowlandson|Henry William Bunbury](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/dp/thumb/a-scene-at-newmarket-a-shot-at-a-hawk-pigeon-775513.webp)
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 3/16 × 5 9/16 in. (13.1 × 14.2 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
59.533.1739
Tags
Art Historical Context
This hand-colored etching from 1803 captures a lively satirical moment at Newmarket, the renowned English center of horse racing and sporting culture. Created through the collaborative efforts of Thomas Rowlandson and Henry William Bunbury, both celebrated for their sharp caricatures, the print uses the accessible medium of etching to reach a broad audience with its witty commentary. The small scale—roughly five by five-and-a-half inches—makes it an intimate work, inviting close inspection of its humorous details. The scene pokes fun at the gentlemen and their sporting pursuits, featuring men...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|Henry William Bunbury · 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...