An Antiquarian
A shortsighted antiquarian approaches an Egyptian mummy and is startled to find it wearing spectacles and grinning at him with amusement. Rowlandson delighted in mocking the foibles of his countrymen. In this case his target was the taste for antiquities that flourished in England during the eighteenth century and led to the formation of gentlemanly societies and institutions such as the British Museum. Rowlandson etched this vigorous design himself, but the color washes would have been added in the shop of his publisher, William Holland.
Artwork Details
- Title: An Antiquarian
- Etcher: Frederick George Byron (British, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire 1764–1792 Bristol)
- Artist: After Thomas Rowlandson (British, London 1757–1827 London)
- Publisher: William Holland (British, 1757–1815)
- Date: October 23, 1789
- Medium: Hand-colored etching and aquatint
- Dimensions: Sheet: 14 3/4 × 10 11/16 in. (37.4 × 27.1 cm)
Plate: 14 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (36.2 x 26 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
- Object Number: 59.533.321
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.