Forget & Forgive, or Honest Jack Shaking Hands with and Old Acquaintance
September 3, 1799
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 1/8 × 12 5/8 in. (23.1 × 32.1 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
59.533.1948
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
This satirical print exemplifies Thomas Rowlandson's genius for capturing human character and contemporary social commentary through caricature. Published by Rudolph Ackermann on September 3, 1799, at his establishment at 101 Strand, London, 'Forget & Forgive, or Honest Jack Shaking Hands with an Old Acquaintance' demonstrates the witty social observation that made Rowlandson one of Georgian England's most popular and prolific printmakers. The title suggests a scene of reconciliation between for...
About the Artist
Rudolph Ackermann, London|Thomas Rowlandson · 1794–1832
**Rudolph Ackermann (1764–1834)** was a pivotal Anglo-German publisher, printseller, and entrepreneur whose London-based business shaped Regency-era visual culture through innovative printmaking and illustrated publications. Born in Stollberg, Saxony, he trained as a saddler and coach-builder before moving to London around 1787. He initially worked in carriage design and related trades, later esta...