Lust and Avarice
Original title: Lust and Avarice
kurzbeschreibung
Thomas Rowlandson made this hand-coloured etching, 'Lust und Habsucht' (Lust and Avarice), in 1788. It pictures a flamboyantly dressed woman embracing a man, and belongs among the caricatures for which the artist was known, targeting the vices of lust and greed.
Description
The woman wears a white dress with a red skirt and a large yellow headpiece. She throws her arms around a man in a red jacket and grey breeches who carries a bag; her pose is lively and inviting, while his face registers worry and fear. Bright colours and even lighting fill the image, and the exaggerated features and expressive postures fit the caricature style of the day.
Context
The etching appeared in England in 1788, when caricature enjoyed wide popularity as a vehicle for social criticism. Rowlandson was celebrated for satirical takes on human weakness, and this print belongs to a series addressing moral vices such as lust and avarice.
Impact
The distorted faces and strong colours make the scene at once comic and accusatory. The contrast between the woman's seductive attitude and the man's frightened response creates an ironic tension.
Technique
An etching, the print was coloured by hand after printing. The linework is precise, and the colours were applied in watercolour. The paper measures 37.8 × 28.2 cm, the plate 37.5 × 27.3 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)