The Departure

Art Historical Context

**The Departure**, a satirical etching created by Thomas Rowlandson in collaboration with J. Hedges and dated April 29,1784, captures the biting wit of late 18th-century British caricature. Rowlandson, a master of humorous and often irreverent prints, depicts prominent figures including Whig politician Charles James Fox and the glamorous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Produced as an early, undescribed state on a modest sheet measuring 10 1/16 × 13 13/16 inches, this etching exemplifies the era's lively printmaking tradition, where multiple impressions allowed for refinements in line work and shading. Set against the backdrop of the 1784 British general election—a pivotal clash between Fox's coalition and William Pitt the Younger—the artwork uses donkeys as symbols of folly to mock political maneuvering. Georgiana, a socialite and key Fox supporter, often mobilized voters through her charm, making her a ripe target for satire. Rowlandson's loose, expressive etching technique, with its fluid lines and exaggerated features, heightens the comedic critique of power and vanity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, 1959), *The Departure* offers a window into how prints democratized political commentary, entertaining while skewering the elite. A delightful blend of humor and history, it reminds us of satire's enduring role in public discourse.

About the Artist

Thomas Rowlandson|J. Hedges|Charles James Fox|Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire · 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...