Unused study for a plate to "Hungarian and Highland Broadsword Exercise" Feb. 12, 1799
ca. 1799
Medium
Watercolor, pen and ink
Dimensions
sheet: 10 11/16 x 8 5/16 in. (27.1 x 21.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.533.1661
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the lively world of late 18th-century British with Thomas Rowlandson's *Unused Study for a Plate to "arian and Highland Broads Exercise"*, dated around 1799. Rowlandson, a master caricaturist renowned for his humorous and exaggerated depictions of society, crafted this preparatory watercolor and pen-and-ink drawing as a study for an illustration in a military fencing manual. Measuring just 10 11/16 x 8 5/16 inches, it the energy of soldiers wielding broadswords, flags fluttering amid horses and dynamic poses—elements evoking the discipline and flair of combat training. Created durin...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson · 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...