The Connoisseur (1780–1800)
Original title: The Connoisseur
kurzbeschreibung
A bewigged man sits on a chair, absorbed in a book or portfolio, while two women in the room watch him. Thomas Rowlandson set down this domestic scene in watercolour between 1780 and 1800, with pen, ink and brushwork added. Three figures share an interior of considerable intimacy.
Description
A gentleman in a wig takes the foreground, wearing a shirt and braces, a book or folder in his hands. Beside him sits a woman in a voluminous dress, a veil around her neck, holding a tray or plate. A second woman, kerchief and wig in place, stands behind and directs her gaze at the man. A window and a piece of furniture with a vase are only suggested. Grey dominates the sheet, with isolated touches of colour setting accents.
Context
Rowlandson ranked among the best-known British caricaturists of his day and liked to skewer social life. In the decades around 1800 watercolour gained popularity in England, and artists such as he used it for light-hearted scenes of everyday life. The title of the "connoisseur" probably alludes to a contemporary debate on art criticism, concerned with the relationship between connoisseurship and taste.
Impact
Quiet and restrained, the sheet presents itself, and the muted greys contribute to that; yet something confidential lies in the close circle of the three figures. Scattered accents of colour draw the eye to the people. The result is a fine, detailed feel characteristic of eighteenth-century watercolour work.
Technique
Pen and ink join with brush and wash, the whole carried out in watercolour. This allowed Rowlandson to draw precise lines as well as lay down soft washes of colour. The largely monochrome palette with a few accents reveals great assurance in handling watercolour and produces a subtle play of light.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)