Tom Jones & Sophia interrupted in a tete a tete by Lady Bellaston, from "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling"
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 5/8 × 6 15/16 in. (11.8 × 17.7 cm) Plate: 4 1/2 × 6 13/16 in. (11.5 × 17.3 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
59.533.560(10)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This etching by Thomas Rowlandson captures a pivotal moment from Henry Fielding’s celebrated 1749 novel *The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling*. In the scene, the young hero Tom and his beloved Sophia Western are caught in an intimate conversation by the scheming Lady Bellaston, whose arrival threatens to expose their secret affection. Rowlandson’s lively linework brings the novel’s comedic tension to life, highlighting the social manners and romantic entanglements that made Fielding’s work a landmark of English literature. Created in 1792, the print reflects the popularity of illustrated edi...
About the Artist
Henry Fielding|Thomas Rowlandson (British|British) · 1707 |1757 –1754 |1827
British, 1707–1754|British, London 1757–1827 London