Odd Characters
Original title: Odd Characters
kurzbeschreibung
Under the title "Odd Characters", Thomas Rowlandson has woven a multitude of heads and faces into a net-like tangle. The etching dates from 16 February 1801 and measures 46.4 × 34.6 cm; it was colored by hand. Realistic features and caricatural exaggeration meet and mingle in this print.
Description
Countless heads make up the image, joined by diagonal lines into a point-to-point web. Each face stands on its own, with its own expression and hairstyle, suggesting a whole crowd of personalities. The coloring is strong, taking in reds and blues as well as yellow and green. The faces are drawn realistically, yet exaggerated features and hairdos push them toward caricature. Light falls evenly, with no shadows or hard contrasts.
Context
Thomas Rowlandson, an English artist, became known for his satirical and socially critical work. This etching was made around 1800, when caricature was growing popular in Britain as a means of political and social comment. Rowlandson often turned to aquatint and etching and frequently colored his prints by hand, as he did with this example.
Impact
The dense ranks of faces produce an almost unsettling variety, drawing the viewer in to pick out one character after another. The lively colors and caricatural features give the sheet a humorous and at the same time ironic note.
Technique
An etching was made for this work and then colored by hand with watercolor. The etched lines allow the facial features to be reproduced precisely, while the coloring heightens the expressiveness of the figures. The paper size of 46.4 × 34.6 cm points to a large sheet intended for printing and distribution.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)