Lady Day - Old & New Style from George Cruikshank's Steel Etchings to The Comic Almanacks: 1835-1853 (top left)
1845, printed c. 1880
Medium
Four steel etchings in black on cream India paper, laid down on off-white card (chine collé)
Dimensions
Primary support: 21.2 × 33.2 cm (8 3/8 × 13 1/8 in.); Secondary support: 34.3 × 50.7 cm (13 9/16 × 20 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
222544
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
George Cruikshank, a prolific 19th-century British caricist and illustrator renowned for his sharp social satire, created this vibrant set of four steel etch titled *Lady Day - Old & New Style Originally published in 1845 as part of *The Comic Almanacks*1835–1853), a series of humorous annuals blending wit with commentary on British customs, the prints were later reprinted around 1880. Positioned as the "top left" plate, it captures the festive chaos of Lady Day—March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation and a traditional English quarter day for paying rents and settling accounts—contrasting "Old Style" (Julian calendar) and "New Style" (Gregorian) traditions amid rowdy revelry. Cruikshank's etchings masterfully satirize everyday life, poking fun at the boisterous gatherings, tippling, and haggling that marked these occasions. His intricate line work on steel plates allowed for finer detail and larger editions than copper, revolutionizing printmaking for mass satire during the Victorian era. Produced in black ink on delicate cream India paper via chine collé—where thin Asian paper is adhered to a sturdy off-white card for stability—these 21.2 × 33.2 cm sheets (on a 34.3 × 50.7 cm mount) exemplify technical innovation meeting cultural critique. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this work highlights Cruikshank's enduring influence, from illustrating Dickens to advocating temperance, offering visitors a window into 19th-century humor and the calendar's quirky evolution.
About the Artist
George Cruikshank · 1792–1878
George Cruikshank (1792–1878) was born in London on 27 September 1792, the son of Scottish caricaturist Isaac Cruikshank and Mary MacNaughton. His older brother, Isaac Robert Cruikshank, was also a caricaturist and illustrator, while his sister Eliza worked as a designer. From a young age, Cruikshank assisted his father in the studio, contributing titles, backgrounds, and lettering to cartoons by ...