The Mummer
1876 to 1900
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching
Dimensions
sheet: 46.3 × 29.2 cm (18 1/4 × 11 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.7660
Art Historical Context
**The Mummer** is a captivating etching by Joseph Simpson, created sometime between 1876 and1900. Measuring 46.3 × 29.2 cm on its sheet, this print from the National Gallery of Art Rosenwald Collection captures the enigmatic figure of a mummer masked performer from traditional British folk plays. These seasonal mumming troupes, often seen during Christmas or New Year's, donned elaborate disguises to enact comic dramas of St. George and the dragon, preserving rural customs amid the Industrial Age's urbanization. Etching, Simpson's chosen medium, exemplifies 19th-century printmaking prowess. Th...