Lords of the Bedchamber
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 5/16 × 13 7/16 in. (23.6 × 34.1 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
59.533.58(b)
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Lords of the Bed** (1784) is a vibrant hand-colored etching, a quintessential product of Georgian Britain's booming satirical print culture. Attributed to artists and publishers including Thomas Rowlandson, a master caricaturist known for his humorous, exaggerated scenes of society, and William Humphrey, this work measures about 9½ by 13½ inches. Produced on April 14, 1784, it captures the era's sharp political wit through intricate etching techniques, where fine lines create dynamic compositions, and hand-coloring adds lively tints to heighten the mockery. The print skewers prominent figur...
About the Artist
Samuel House|Charles James Fox|William Humphrey|Thomas Rowlandson|Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (British|British|British) · 1786 |1757 |1775 –1795 |1827 |1785
British, active 1786–95|British, London 1757–1827 London|British, active 1780–85