No. 6: Purser
February 15, 1799
Medium
Etching and aquatint
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed and inset): 9 15/16 × 7 3/4 in. (25.2 × 19.7 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
59.533.1881
Tags
Art Historical Context
**No. 6: Purser** (1799) is a lively satirical print by the renowned British caricaturist Thomas Rowland, with etching and aquatint by Merke and published by Rudolph Ackermann in London. Created during the Napoleonic Wars, when Britain's Royal Navy dominated the seas, this work captures the everyday quirks of maritime life. The aquatint technique—Rowlandson's specialty—adds rich tonal depth and subtle shading, mimicking watercolor effects on paper, while etching provides crisp lines for humorous details. Measuring about 10 by 7 3/4 inches, it's part of The Elisha Whittelsey Collection at the M...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|Henri Merke|Rudolph Ackermann, London · 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...