Coming in at the Death of the Corsican Fox, Scene the Last
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Plate: 9 3/4 × 13 7/8 in. (24.8 × 35.2 cm) Sheet: 10 3/16 × 14 1/8 in. (25.8 × 35.8 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
59.533.1565
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of early 19th-century British satire, Rowlandson's hand-colored etching *Coming in at the Death of the Cors Fox, Scene the Last (April 12, 1814), published by Ackermann in London, captures the triumphant mood surrounding Napoleon's downfall. The title evokes a fox hunt's climactic moment, with the "Corsican Fox"—a sly nickname for Napoleon Bonaparte his island birthplace—finally cornered and slain. Rowlandson, a master caricaturist known for his exaggerated, humorous depictions of human folly, populates the scene with huntsmen (likely symbolizing Britain's Allied foes), do...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|Rudolph Ackermann, London|Napoléon Bonaparte · 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...