← Thomas Rowlandson

The Sculptor [Preparations for the Academy, Old Joseph Nollekens and his Venus] (ca. 1800, Met-Objekt 4275)

Original title: The Sculptor [Preparations for the Academy, Old Joseph Nollekens and his Venus]

Artist

Thomas Rowlandson

Date

ca. 1800

Medium

Hand-colored etching

Dimensions

Sheet: 11 15/16 x 9 1/4 in. (30.3 x 23.5 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959

kurzbeschreibung

Around 1800, Thomas Rowlandson etched and hand-colored this portrait of sculptor Joseph Nollekens at work on a Venus figure in his studio. Measuring 30.3 by 23.5 cm, the print combines close observation of the art world with a satirical eye.

Description

In the foreground, a man uses a tool to work on a female sculpture seated on a pedestal, only partly clothed; hammers and shears lie nearby. Further back in the studio, other figures have gathered: a seated woman surrounded by two men who sing and play music. Tools and materials point to the setting. Grays and browns dominate the palette, with individual accents highlighting the figures.

Context

Joseph Nollekens (1737–1823) was one of the most sought-after English sculptors of his day, known for portrait busts and idealized figures. Rowlandson, a famous caricaturist, shows him here with a humorous undertone. The print belongs to a series that satirically chronicled London's art life and was made at a time when the Royal Academy and its teaching methods were publicly debated.

Impact

The sculptor's relaxed posture and the bustle behind him make the sheet both a document and an amusing observation. The restrained colors create a calm, almost intimate mood that brings out the contrast between artistic ambition and everyday studio reality.

Technique

For the etching, lines were incised into an etched plate and then printed; coloring was done by hand with watercolors, as was usual for Rowlandson's prints. The process allows fine hatching and a lively, sketch-like rendering of the figures.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)