The Village Doctor
June 8, 1774
Medium
Etching and aquatint
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 3/4 × 7 9/16 in. (24.8 × 19.2 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
59.533.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1774 etching and aquatint, titled *The Village Doctor*, captures the lively spirit of 18th-century British satire. Created by Thomas Rowlandson in collaboration with Henry Wigstead and published by the noted print seller Hannah Humphrey, the print uses the tonal richness of aquatint combined with the crisp lines of etching to bring its humorous scene to life. Such reproductive techniques allowed satirical images to reach a wide audience through shops and circulating libraries, making art an accessible form of social commentary. Rowlandson, celebrated for his witty caricatures of everyday...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|Hannah Humphrey|Henry Wigstead · 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...