Simple Bodily Pain
Medium
Hand-colored etching, printed in brown ink
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 5/8 × 6 7/8 in. (24.5 × 17.5 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
59.533.1843
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Simple Bodily Pain" (1800) is a witty hand-colored etching by the celebrated British caricaturist Thomasson, in collaboration with designer George Murgatroyd and publisher Rudolph Ackermann Printed in brown ink on a modest sheet measuring 9⅝ × 6⅞ inches, this print exemplifies the vibrant satirical tradition of late Georgian England. Rowlandson, renowned for his humorous and often risqué depictions of everyday follies, teamed up with Woodward's inventive designs and Ackermann's innovative printing techniques to produce affordable, colorful commentary on social life. The medium—etching with h...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|George Murgatroyd Woodward|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...