![Thomas Rowlandson — Kings Place, or a View of M [Fox's] Best Friends](https://oldart.vernisio.com/archiv/Thomas_Rowlandson/Thomas_Rowlandson_Kings_Place_or_a_View_of_M_Foxs_Best_Friends_April_22_1784_gross.jpg)
Kings Place, or a View of M [Fox's] Best Friends
Original title: Kings Place, or a View of M [Fox's] Best Friends
kurzbeschreibung
Six elegantly dressed women stand together, holding papers and conversing via speech bubbles. Thomas Rowlandson made this etching in April 1784; the portrait-format sheet is a political satire from eighteenth-century Britain.
Description
Six women in elaborately decorated historical gowns are lined up side by side, communicating through gestures and speech bubbles. The figures stand symmetrically in the middle of the image; their varied hairstyles and headdresses suggest different social classes. The drawing uses detailed, precise lines, with faces exaggerated and caricature-like. Colour is entirely absent: the image remains monochrome, without shading or gradients, and the light appears even.
Context
The etching appeared in April 1784, a time of political tension in Britain when Charles James Fox and his supporters were at the centre of public debate. Rowlandson, known for his satirical prints, likely mocked Fox's political allies here. The title refers to a place called Kings Place, which can be understood as a meeting point or as a metaphor for political intrigue.
Impact
The exaggerated faces and ironic speech bubbles make the caricature both humorous and critical. The symmetrical arrangement and precise linework give the sheet a calm yet pointed quality; it invites a smile.
Technique
The work is an etching, an intaglio process in which lines are etched into a metal plate. This produces fine, even lines, used here for the detailed clothing and faces. It was printed on paper; the sheet measures approximately 23.7 x 34.2 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)