Doctor Drainbarrel Conveyed Home in order to Take His Trial for Neglect of Family Duty
November 30, 1810
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 × 13 in. (22.9 × 33 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
59.533.1377
Tags
Art Historical Context
Thomas Rowlandson’s *Doctor Drainbarrel Conveyed Home in order to Take His Trial for Neglect of Family Duty*1810) is a witty hand-colored etching that captures the sharp social satire for which the British artist was renowned. Active during the Regency era, Rowlandson produced hundreds of caricatures lampooning the foibles of contemporary society, from political scandals to everyday vices. This print, measuring 9 × 13 inches, exemplifies his lively style, blending exaggerated figures with humorous scenarios to critique moral lapses. The title alone hints at the scene’s absurdity: a bumbling “...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson · 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...