The Steine (An Excursion to Brighthelmstone)

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant social whirl of late Georgian England with *The Steine (An Excursion to Brightstone)*, a lively 1790 etching and aquat by a talented trio: Henry Wigstead, Samuel Alken, the renowned caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson published by G.G.J. & J. Robinson. This sheet captures a bustling scene at The Steine, Brighton's famed open promenade (then called Brighthelmstone), where dressed men, women, their dogs stroll amid grand buildings. It's a snapshot of leisure among the fashionable elite, who flocked to this seaside resort popularized by the Prince Regent. The print's medium—etching for fine lines combined with aquatint for subtle tonal gradations and hand-coloring—allowed for vivid, painterly effects that brought Rowlandson's satirical eye to life. Aquatint, a novel technique in the 1790s, enabled richer colors and atmospheres than traditional line etchings, making such prints affordable souvenirs of high society. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this work highlights the era's obsession with urban excursions and coastal escapes, offering a charming window into 18th-century British leisure culture.

About the Artist

G. G. J. & J. Robinson|Henry Wigstead|Samuel Alken|Thomas Rowlandson (British|British|British|British) · 1780 |1757 |1756 |1740 –1811 |1827 |1815 |1800

London|British, London 1757–1827 London|British, London 1756–1815 London|British, 1745?–1800 Margate