Rural Sports or Game at Quoits
October 30, 1811
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 3/4 × 13 15/16 in. (24.7 × 35.4 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
59.533.1448
Tags
Art Historical Context
Thomas Rowlandson's *Rural Sports or Game at Quits*, published by Thomas Tegg on October , 1811, captures the boisterous spirit of English country life through a hand-colored etching. This print, measuring 93/4 × 13 15/16 inches, depicts men and women engaged in quoits—a traditional game similar to horseshoes, where players toss rings at a stake. Rowlandson, a master of Regency-era caricature, infuses the scene with his signature humor, exaggerating the players' enthusiasm and antics for comedic effect. As a hand-colored etching, the artwork showcases the vibrant techniques of early 19th-cent...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|Thomas Tegg · 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...