Market Place at Cambridge
November 15, 1801
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 13/16 × 9 13/16 in. (17.3 × 25 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
59.533.796
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling heart of early 19th-century England Thomas Rowlandson's *Market Place at Cambridge*, an etching dated November 15, 1801. This print captures the vibrant chaos of Cambridge's market square, teeming with men, women horses, and animals amid stalls and commerce. Rowlandson, a master caricaturist of the Georgian era, infuses the scene with his signature wit and observation, transforming everyday life into a snapshot social energy and urban rhythm. As a hand-colored etching—measuring just 6 13/16 × 9 13/16 inches—this work exemplifies the printmaking techniques that made Rowl...
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...