Aquarius - Jolly Young Watermen from George Cruikshank's Steel Etchings to The Comic Almanacks: 1835-1853 (top left)
1846, printed c. 1880
Medium
Four steel etchings in black on cream India paper, laid down on off-white card (chine collé)
Dimensions
Primary support: 21.4 × 33.8 cm (8 7/16 × 13 5/16 in.); Secondary support: 34.3 × 50.9 cm (13 9/16 × 20 1/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
222546
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
George Cruikshank's *Aquarius - Jolly Young Watermen (1846, printed c. 1880) captures the spirited humor of Victorian England through one of four steel etchings *The Comic Almanacks* (1835–1853). As a leading British caricaturist and illustratorbest known for his satirical works and collaborations with Charles Dickens—Cruikshank delighted audiences with witty scenes of everyday life. This zodiac-themed print, positioned top left, depicts lively young watermen, evoking the Thames-side revelry and working-class joie de vivre of 19th-century London. The artwork's medium—steel etchings in black ink on delicate cream India paper, laid down via chine collé onto off-white card—highlights innovative printmaking techniques. Steel plates, stronger than traditional copper, allowed for high-volume production while retaining fine detail, making these affordable yet artistic almanac illustrations widely accessible. Chine collé, gluing thin Eastern paper to a sturdy support, preserved the etchings' subtlety and vibrancy, a hallmark of fine 19th-century prints now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department. These etchings offer a window into Cruikshank's social commentary, blending comedy with cultural snapshots of urban Britain, and remain cherished for their enduring charm and technical finesse.
About the Artist
George Cruikshank · 1792–1878
George Cruikshank (1792–1878) was born in London on 27 September 1792, the son of Scottish caricaturist Isaac Cruikshank and Mary MacNaughton. His older brother, Isaac Robert Cruikshank, was also a caricaturist and illustrator, while his sister Eliza worked as a designer. From a young age, Cruikshank assisted his father in the studio, contributing titles, backgrounds, and lettering to cartoons by ...