Thomas Rowlandson
(1756 or 1757 - April
1827)
One of the great British caricaturists and satirists,
Rowlandson was a skilled draughtsman and engraver.
As a child, he is said to have learned to draw
before he could write. After attending Eton
and the Royal Academy, he spent two years studying
drawing in Paris. Rowlandson is known for his
amusing illustrations of life and politics during
the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The Doctor's Dream
Handcolored Aquatint Etching
circa 1810
Dr. Syntax sleeps in a red arm chair as the
books of his library come to life and fly around
him. This image reminds us of a humorous version
of Goya's famous print "The Sleep of Reason
Produces Monsters."
The London skyline with St. Paul's cathedral
can be seen through the window.
Dr. Syntax was the product
of a collaboration between Thomas Rowlandson,
one of most famous caricaturists of the Georgian
period (under King George III and William Coombe
who wrote up Dr. Syntax's adventures as a series
of long poems. This is the period that corresponds
to the Regency period in France.
The Tour of Dr. Sytnax in
Search of the Picturesque was first
published in 1809 in the Poetical Magazine and
began appearing as a separate book in 1812.
In the stories, Dr. Syntax, a white whigged
curate and schoolmaster, leaves home on a series
of adventures. He sets off on an old mare and
runs into all sorts of trouble. Some consider
this series a precursor of the modern comic
strip.
Dimensions: 9.25 X 5.8 inches
Condition: Very good. One small spot
in margin. Vibrant colors
Annotations: Lower Left, "Drawn
and Etched by Rowlandson"
