ticketsMember | Make a donation

All Fours

Etcher (?) Thomas Rowlandson British
After Henry William Bunbury British
Publisher First published by John Raphael Smith British
first published March 14, 1783 [a later reissue?]
Not on view
Within an oval, two men play "All Fours" an English card game similar to Whist. They sit on ladder-backed chairs at a small round topped tripod table. The older man, at right, pulls an ace of spades from his hand and displays it as the winning card. He is dressed plainly and wears a bob wig. The younger man, thin and fashionably dressed, with a pigtail queue, reacts in consternation. He has played a king or queen of spades, which is outranked by the ace. Cards from a previous round lie on the table.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: All Fours
  • Etcher: (?) Thomas Rowlandson (British, London 1757–1827 London)
  • Artist: After Henry William Bunbury (British, Mildenhall, Suffolk 1750–1811 Keswick, Cumberland)
  • Publisher: First published by John Raphael Smith (British, baptized Derby 1751–1812 Doncaster)
  • Date: first published March 14, 1783 [a later reissue?]
  • Medium: Hand-colored etching and engraving
  • Dimensions: sheet: 12 15/16 x 15 3/8 in. (32.8 x 39 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
  • Object Number: 59.533.394
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Migrants, Thomas Rowlandson British, Watercolor
Migrants
Thomas Rowlandson
1780–1827
Going to Ivy Bridge, Thomas Rowlandson British, Watercolor
Going to Ivy Bridge
Thomas Rowlandson
1780–1827
The Sailor's Return from Active Service, Thomas Rowlandson British, Watercolor
The Sailor's Return from Active Service
Thomas Rowlandson
1780–1827
Departure of Blanchard and Jeffries' Balloon from Dover, January 7, 1785, Thomas Rowlandson British, Hand-colored etching
Departure of Blanchard and Jeffries' Balloon from Dover, January 7, 1785
Multiple artists/makers
January 1794
Ships and Sailors, Thomas Rowlandson British, Watercolor
Ships and Sailors
Thomas Rowlandson
late 18th–early 19th century

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.