Some of the Drolleries of the Great Exhibition
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Plate: 8 9/16 × 11 9/16 in. (21.7 × 29.3 cm) Sheet: 12 1/2 × 19 11/16 in. (31.8 × 50 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966
Accession Number
66.541.55(9)
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Some of the Drolleries the Great Exhibition** (1851) is a delightful etching by George Cruikank, the renowned British caricaturist and illustrator, by David Bogue. Created during the height of the Great Exhibition—the world's first international fair held in London's Crystal Palace—this print captures the event's whimsical spirit through Cruikshank's signature lens. The Exhibition, organized by Prince Albert showcased industrial marvels from around the globe, drawing millions and symbolizing Victorian Britain's technological optimism, but Cruikshank poked fun at its excesses with his sharp s...
About the Artist
George Cruikshank|David Bogue · 1792–1878
George Cruikshank (1792–1878) was born in London on 27 September 1792, the son of Scottish caricaturist Isaac Cruikshank and Mary MacNaughton. His older brother, Isaac Robert Cruikshank, was also a caricaturist and illustrator, while his sister Eliza worked as a designer. From a young age, Cruikshank assisted his father in the studio, contributing titles, backgrounds, and lettering to cartoons by ...