The Detection
June 15, 1796
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 7/8 in. × 13 in. (22.6 × 33 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
59.533.509
Tags
Art Historical Context
**The Detection**, a hand-colored etching created by the renowned British caricaturist Thomas Rowland and published by S. W. Fores on June 15, 1796, captures the playful yet biting spirit of Georgian-era satire. Measuring 8 7/8 × 13 inches, this print depicts an intimate interior scene featuring men, women, and dogs, likely poking fun at social faux pas or domestic intrigue—hence the title suggesting a moment of revelation or exposure. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it exemplifies the era's booming market for affordable, colorful caricatures that ent...