Friends and Foes–Up He Goes–Sending the Corsican Munchausen to St. Cloud's
December 12, 1813
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 1/4 x 14 5/16 in. (26 x 36.4 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
59.533.1525
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the turbulent final days of the Napoleonic Wars, British caricaturist Thomas Rowland crafted this hand-colored etching, *Friends and Foes– He Goes–Sending theican Munchausen to St Cloud's*, published by Rudolph Ackermann in London December 12, 1813. Measuring about 10 by 14 inches, the print exemplifies the vibrant satirical tradition of Georgian-era England, where hand-coloring brought sharp political jabs to life with vivid hues and exaggerated features. The title mocks Napoleon Bonaparte, the "Corsican Munchausen"—a nod to the fabulist Baron Munchausen, implying the emperor's tall tales...
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...