Mrs. Showell, the Woman who shows General Guise's Collection of Pictures at Oxford
February 26, 1807
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 1/16 × 5 1/8 in. (20.4 × 13 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
59.533.1979
Tags
Art Historical Context
Thomas Rowlandson, a master of British satire during the late Georgian era, created *Mrs. Showell, Woman who shows General Gu's Collection of Pictures at* in 1807. This hand-colored etching, measuring just over 8 by 5 inches, exemplifies Rowlandson's witty caricatures, which poked fun at social customs, politics, and everyday life. Produced as a affordable print for a wide audience, the hand-coloring adds vivid humor and charm, enhancing the exaggerated features and dynamic poses typical of his style. The scene humorously depicts Mrs. Showell, the real-life custodian of General Guise's notabl...
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...