The Modern Egbert, or The King of Kings
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 11/16 × 14 3/16 in. (24.6 × 36 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
59.533.312
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1789 etching, titled *The Modern Egbert, or The King of Kings*, captures the lively world British political caricature during the Georgian era. Created by Thomas Rowland, one of the period’s most celebrated satirists, the print uses the medium’s sharp lines and forms to lampoon figures of. The title references Egbert, the Anglo-Saxon king who united early English realms, suggesting a humorous commentary on contemporary claims to authority. The scene incorporates sailing motifs and depicts prominent statesmen including William Pitt, Henry Dundas, and George Nugent Temple Grenville, alongs...
About the Artist
Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow|George IV, King of Great Britain and Ireland|Thomas Rowlandson|George Nugent Temple Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham|William Pitt|Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (British|British|British) · 1759 |1731 |1757 –1806 |1806 |1827
British, 1759–1806|British, Norfolk 1731–1806 Brighton|British, London 1757–1827 London