Great Cry and Little Wool (December 22, 1783, Met-Objekt 4285)
Original title: Great Cry and Little Wool
kurzbeschreibung
Thomas Rowlandson's etching of 1783 (22.8 × 31.2 cm) pits a winged man against a bull whose flank carries the words "BULL INDIA." Issued on December 22, the print takes aim at the political friction between Britain and India in the years after the American War of Independence.
Description
A muscular winged figure grapples with an enraged bull, holding a knife ready to score the animal's hide. Horns and tail are sharply defined, and "BULL INDIA" is lettered across the coat. Several people scatter in the distance while the sky stays overcast. Movement drives the arrangement, and the contrast between the two antagonists gives it its charge.
Context
The etching appeared on December 22, 1783, a few months after the Peace of Paris. With it Rowlandson entered the debate over British rule in India, specifically the quarrel surrounding the East India Company. The bull as "BULL INDIA" frames India as a restive but coveted colonial prize.
Impact
An aggressive, almost chaotic mood hangs over the view, echoing the political fractures of the period. Rowlandson's satirical hand makes the critique of colonial policy legible, and he does not shy away from blunt symbols.
Technique
Lines bitten into a copper plate and then printed: an etching. Its detailed execution pairs realistic anatomy with caricatural exaggeration, the hallmark of Rowlandson's graphic sheets.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)