I Smell a Rat or a Rogue in Grain
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 1/2 × 14 1/2 in. (26.6 × 36.8 cm) Plate: 9 5/8 × 13 11/16 in. (24.5 × 34.7 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
59.533.987
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the witty world of early 19th-century British satire with Thomas Rowlandson's *I Smell a Rat or Rogue in Grain* (1807), a hand-colored etching that captures the era's sharp social commentary. Rowlandson, a master caricaturist of the Regency period, was renowned for his exaggerated figures and humorous vignettes, often poking fun at politics, society, and human folly. This print, measuring about 10½ × 14½ inches, exemplifies his fluid line work and vibrant hand-coloring—a technique that brought these affordable etchings to life, making them popular among the middle class. The title h...
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...