Sons of Neptune Shaving a Landsman!
published March 4, 1817
Medium
Hand-colored etching on paper
Dimensions
Image: 22.5 × 33.5 cm (8 7/8 × 13 1/4 in.); Sheet cut within platemark: 24.2 × 34.8 cm (9 9/16 × 13 3/4 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
90068
Art Historical Context
Isaac Cruikshank's *Sons of Neptune Sh a Landsman!*, on March 4, 1817, is a hand-colored etching that captures the rough-and-tumble world of British naval life. As a prominent caricaturist in late 18th- and early 19th London, Cruikshank in satirical prints that poked fun at social customs, politics, and everyday follies. This work, measuring about 22.5 × 33.5 cm, exemplifies the etching medium's popularity for affordable, mass-produced commentary, with vibrant hand-coloring adding humorous punch to its exaggerated figures. The title refers to "Sons of Neptune"—sailors invoking the sea god—ini...