Prepare to Guard
September 1, 1798
Medium
Hand-colored etching and aquatint
Dimensions
Sheet: 14 5/16 × 12 1/16 in. (36.3 × 30.6 cm) Plate: 13 1/8 × 10 13/16 in. (33.3 × 27.5 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
59.533.763(2)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Prepare to Guard," a hand-colored etching and aquint created in 1798 by Henry Angelo Thomas Rowlandson, captures lively military moment amid Britain's tense preparations during the French Revolutionary Wars., a renowned fencing master a celebrated Italian fencing dynasty, collaborated with Rowlandson, the master caricaturist famous for his witty satires of Georgian society. This print, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, measures about 14 by 12 inches and vibrantly depicts soldiers and men with horses poised in defensive stances, evoking the era's fervor for national defense against Napoleonic threats. The medium—etching for sharp lines combined with aquatint for rich tonal gradations, then meticulously hand-colored—allowed for affordable yet expressive reproductions popular in late 18th-century England. Rowlandson's signature humor likely infuses the scene with exaggerated poses and droll expressions, poking fun at military drills while highlighting the urgency of "guarding" the realm. Such prints served as both entertainment and cultural commentary, reflecting public anxiety and patriotic spirit. This artwork offers a window into how Britons blended martial readiness with satire, preserving a snapshot of 1798's historical drama in vivid, accessible form.
About the Artist
Henry Angelo|Thomas Rowlandson (British|British) · 1756 |1757 –1835 |1827
British, London 1756–1835 London|British, London 1757–1827 London