The Q A loaded with the spoils of India and Britain, March 6, 1788
ca. 1788
Medium
Pen and ink
Dimensions
sheet: 9 1/4 x 13 3/8 in. (23.5 x 34 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.533.1814
Tags
Art Historical Context
Thomas Rowlandson's *The Q A loaded with the spoils of India and, March 6, 1788* is a sharp satirical drawing in pen and ink, capturing the excesses of British imperialism during the late 18th century. Created around 1788, this work from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Elisha Whittelsey Collection depicts a—likely the "Q A"—groaning under the weight of plundered treasures from India and Britain. Rowlandson, a master of caricature in the Georgian era, populates the scene with exaggerated figures of men and horses, poking fun at the greed and corruption tied to the East India Company's dominance....
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson · 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...