This exhibition brings together comic works from the Royal collection by Rowlandson one of the leading caricaturists of Georgian England, and examines life at the turn of the 19th century through the caricaturist's sharp eye and appreciation of humour in everyday life. No stratum of society escaped. The absurdities of fashion, the perils of love, political machinations and royal intrigue were the daily subject matter of Thomas Rowlandson, and indeed Napoleon and the Napoleonic wars. Yet, as this article for the arts desk points out, the underlying amiability of these portrayals may explain why the Royals so happily collected his work, even during a time of attempted censorship by the Prince Regent. Indeed the upper classes collected the very images that lampooned them. Print shops flourished during this period and of course the Napoleonic wars and Napoleon figured prominently in these visual commentaries.
Nearly a hundred works figure in the exhibition and are reproduced in a comprehensive catalogue (272 pages and over 200 colour illustrations) accompanied by new archival research on both the works and their royal collectors, from George IV to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
More information on the website of the Queen's Gallery.
For those who cannot make it to London for the show it is possible to see an online version of the exhibition.
A review in the Guardian.
Langue(s) : English