The Macaroni Print Shop
July 14, 1772
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
plate: 7 1/16 x 9 13/16 in. (17.9 x 25 cm) sheet: 7 5/8 x 9 13/16 in. (19.4 x 25 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.686.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
"The Macaroni Print Shop," an etching dated July 14, 1772, captures the vibrant world of 18th-century British satire through its depiction of fashionable young men. Created by the collaborative efforts of Matthew Darly, Mary Darly, and Edward Topham, this small-scale print (roughly 7 by 10 inches) showcases the Darlys' expertise in producing affordable, widely circulated caricatures that poked fun at contemporary society. In the 1770s, "macaronis" referred to dandies known for their extravagant, gender-bending fashions inspired by continental Europe, including towering wigs, delicate clothing...