Looking for Lodgings
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Plate: 5 9/16 × 8 9/16 in. (14.2 × 21.8 cm) Sheet: 12 1/2 × 19 11/16 in. (31.8 × 50 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966
Accession Number
66.541.55(5)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Looking for Lodgings an 1851 etching George Cruiksh published by David Bogue captures a lively moment everyday Victorian life. Crushank, celebrated his sharp satirical illustrations and caricatures, used etching medium to create affordable widely circulated prints that broad audiences beyond the elite The technique allowed for fine detail and line work, ideal for conveying humor and social in small-scale formats like plate measuring just over by eight inches. Created the height of the era and the same year London's Great Exhibition, print reflects the period's rapid urbanization the challenges of city living Tags indicating men and women suggest a scene exploring domestic or social interactions, themes Cruikshank often with wit and insight. Such works offered museum visitors today a window into 19-century British culture through accessible, narrative-driven imagery. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Drawings and Prints as part of the Elisha Whitt Collection, this piece highlights the importance of printmaking in democratizing art and commentary the Industrial Age.
About the Artist
David Bogue|George Cruikshank (British|British) · 1792 |1807 –1878 |1856
British, London 1792–1878 London|British, active London, 1807/8–56