High Spirits: The Comic Art of Thomas Rowlandson at The Queen's Gallery
- Blair Loves @BlairLovesLP
- Oct 26, 2015
- 1 min read
Rowlandson was one of the leading caricaturists of Georgian England, creating many memorable and hilarious pictures that lampooned a broad range of targets. There were few things that he didn't consider fair game for a chuckle, using his great wit to highlight the absurdities of fashion, the dangers of falling in love, political plotting and even royal intrigue. That many of these subject areas are still being laughed at by the likes of Private Eye is a testament to his skill at pinpointing the eternally absurd.
During his peak output years, satirical prints were considered to be prize possessions by collectors across Europe. Many of the examples on show in the exhibition are from the collection of George, Prince of Wales, later Prince Regent and King George IV. Despite being the target of many of the jokes, royalty would buy them up anyway in the hope that it would prevent them from being widely seen by the public.
The Comic Art of Thomas Rowlandson at The Queen’s Gallery from November 13, 2015 to February 14, 2016.
