The Vicar Preaching to the Prisoners
Medium
Hand-colored etching and aquatint
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 5/8 × 9 1/4 in. (14.3 × 23.5 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
59.533.1640(18)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of early 19th-century London printmaking, *The Vicar Preaching to the Prisoners* captures moment of moral instruction amid captivity. Created by renowned caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson, with printing by William Clow and publication by Rudolph Ackermann May 1, 1817, this hand-colored and aquatint draws from Oliver Goldsmith's beloved novel *The Vicar Wakefield*. It depicts a vicar addressing a group of male prisoners, blending satire with social commentary on redemption and the harsh realities of Regency-era jails. Rowlandson's signature style shines through in the exagge...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|William Clowes|Oliver Goldsmith|Rudolph Ackermann, London · 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...