Billy Lackbeard and Charley Blackbeard playing at Football
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 9/16 × 13 11/16 in. (24.3 × 34.7 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
59.533.40
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the lively world of 18th-century British satire with *Billy Lackbeard and Charley Black playing at Football*, a hand-colored etching created by renowned caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson in collaboration with engraver William Humphrey, dated February 7, 1784. Measuring about 9½ by 13⅝ inches, this print exemplifies the Georgian era's booming market for affordable, colorful political commentary. Hand-coloring added vibrant appeal, making these etchings popular among the middle classes for their sharp wit and exaggerated features. The title cleverly mocks two towering political figures: ...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|William Humphrey|William Pitt|Charles James Fox · 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...