No Flower that Blows is Like this Rose
Original title: "No Flower that Blows is Like this Rose"
kurzbeschreibung
In 1796 James Gillray etched a peasant woman raising a garland of flowers above her head. The print, pulled in a single tone, comes from the hand of the British caricaturist and works with delicate lines and hatching.
Description
The woman stands on a raised patch of ground, trees framing her on either side, with a cloudy sky overhead. Her dress is plain and long, gathered at the waist by a belt, and flowers adorn her pinned-up hair. With her right hand she lifts a chain of blossoms upward. Varying depths of line create a range of greys, and the light falls evenly, without harsh shadows.
Context
On 12 April 1796 H. Humphrey issued the sheet, at the time one of London's leading addresses for political and social satire. Gillray was known for biting caricatures that took aim at social as well as political matters. The caption "No Flower that Blows, is like this Rose" suggests an ironic allusion, perhaps to fashion or to well-known figures of the day.
Impact
The calm, idyllic setting and the delicate line produce a pensive mood that stands apart from Gillray's often aggressive satire. Because the print is held entirely in shades of grey, the woman's tender gesture comes forward; the ironic caption, however, sets a distancing, reflective note against it.
Technique
For the etching the drawing was scratched into a metal plate, which acid then worked. The thin lines and hatching yield gradations of tone that give the image a soft, graphic structure. The sheet is trimmed at the plate mark and measures 26.4 x 21.9 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)