The Defeat of the High & Mighty Bailissimo Corbettino...
March 7, 1785
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 3/8 × 14 1/16 in. (26.3 × 35.7 cm) Plate: 9 13/16 × 13 7/8 in. (25 × 35.3 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
59.533.90
Tags
Art Historical Context
### The Defeat of the High Mighty Bailissimo CorbettinoCreated on March 7, 1785, by the acclaimed British caricaturist Thomasson in collaboration with printmaker William Humphrey, this-colored etching exemplifies the sharp wit of Georgian-era satire. Rowlandson, renowned for his humorous and exaggerated depictions of social follies, teamed up with Humphrey, a skilled engraver, to produce lively prints that poked fun at the powerful. Measuring about 10 by 14 inches, the work was part of a booming market for affordable colored etchings, which brought biting commentary directly to the public. Th...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|William Humphrey · 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...