Comic Sketch
1837–64
Medium
Watercolor, pen and brown ink, over graphite
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 5/16 x 4 7/8 in. (16 x 12.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.97.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
John Leech's *Comic Sketch* (1837–64) captures the spirit of Victorian Britain's satirical art scene. Leech, a renowned illustrator for the influential humor magazine *Punch*, celebrated for his sharp wit and lively depictions of everyday life, often poking fun at the upper classes, sportsmen, and social follies. Created during his most active years, this small-scale drawing reflects the era's booming market for caricatures, which democratized humor through affordable prints and periodicals. Executed in watercolor, pen and brown ink over graphite on a modest 6 5/16 x 4 7/8 in. sheet, the work...
About the Artist
John Leech · 1817–1864
John Leech (1817–1864) was born in London and educated at Charterhouse, where he formed a lifelong friendship with William Makepeace Thackeray. He briefly studied medicine before abandoning it for art, publishing his first comic character studies from London street life as early as 1835. Though largely self-taught as an illustrator, he absorbed the robust tradition of English caricature establishe...