The Ship, driven by a Whirlwind, a thousand leagues above the surface of the water
[1809], reissued 1811
Medium
Hand-colored etching; reissue
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 13/16 × 6 1/4 in. (9.7 × 15.8 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
59.533.1394(7)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Ship, driven by a Whirlwind a thousand leagues above the of the water*, afully absurd hand-colored etching by the prolific British caricaturist Thomasson, published by Thomasegg in 1809 and reissued in 181. Measuring just 3 13/16 × 6 1/4 inches, this petite print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department captures Rowlandson's signature satirical flair during the Regency era. The exaggerated title evokes a fantastical mishap—a ship hurled impossibly high by a whirlwind, far beyond the ocean's grasp. Tags of "Seas" and "Ships" highlight its maritime theme,...