Low Art, ‘Skits’, and ‘Pot-boilers’?
Re-examining the Political Caricatures of Thomas Rowlandson, 1780–1827
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Abstract
This article re-evaluates Thomas Rowlandson, and his historic dismissal as a ‘hack caricaturist’ (Gatrell), by quantitatively analysing his political caricatures from 1780–1827, exploring their range, political affiliations, and satirical techniques. Qualitative analysis of selected prints provides context and showcases his effectiveness and distinctive style of attack. A unique focus is placed on Rowlandson's publishers and their potential influence. The article aims to reposition Rowlandson as a prominent caricaturist of the medium's ‘golden age’, highlighting the value in his satirical artistic output and challenging the assertion that his caricatures were ‘pot-boilers, which cannot bear artistic comparison with his watercolours’ (Bryant and Heneage, eds.).
Contributor Notes
Callum D. Smith is a lecturer in modern history at the University of Bristol and has held research and teaching positions at the universities of Bristol, Bath, and Aberystwyth. He is an interdisciplinary historian of British politics and society post-1780, with a particular expertise in visual culture. His interdisciplinary PhD thesis: Radical Socialites, or Sociable Radicals? The Foxite Whigs in Caricature, 1780–1810, was passed in 2022. He is currently writing a monograph based on his thesis and working on projects related to the caricaturists William Dent and James Sayers. callum.smith@bristol.ac.uk; cds11@aber.ac.uk; ORCID: