Amputation
February 20, 1785
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 3/16 × 16 11/16 in. (31 × 42.4 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
59.533.89(a)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Thomas Rowlandson, a prolific British caricaturist active in the late 18th century, *Amputation* on February 20, 5, as a hand etching that captures the era's dark humor and social commentary. Often collaborating under pseudonyms like T. Smith, Rowlandson was a master of satirical prints, drawing from the vibrant tradition of Georgian caricature artists such as Hogarth. This work, measuring 12 3/16 × 16 11/16 inches, depicts a chaotic surgical scene evoking visceral fear among men—surgeons, patients, and onlookers alike—highlighting the brutal realities of pre-anesthetic medicine. In the 1780s...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|T. Smith · 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...