Miseries of London: Entering upon any of the bridges of London or any of the passages leading to the Thames being assailed by a groupe [sic] of watermen holding up their hands and bawling out. Oars Sculls. Sculls. Oars. Oars.
July 14, 1807
![Miseries of London: Entering upon any of the bridges of London or any of the passages leading to the Thames being assailed by a groupe [sic] of watermen holding up their hands and bawling out. Oars Sculls. Sculls. Oars. Oars. by Thomas Rowlandson](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/dp/thumb/miseries-of-london-entering-upon-any-of-the-742758.webp)
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 11/16 × 9 5/16 in. (32.2 × 23.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.533.994
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling chaos of early 19th-century London with Thomas Rowlandson's *Miseries of London: Entering any of the bridges of or any of the passages to the Thames being assailed by a groupesic] of watermen up their hands and baw out. Oars Sc. Sculls. Oars. Oars.*, a hand-colored etching from July14, 1807. This lively print captures pedestrians overwhelmed by aggressive watermen—boatmen vying for fares along the Thames—shouting their services in a comical frenzy. Rowlandson, a master caricaturist, skewers everyday urban annoyances with exaggerated figures and dynamic composition, embodying the satirical spirit of Georgian England. Published amid London's rapid growth as a sprawling metropolis, the work highlights the "miseries" of city life: congested bridges and river crossings were lifelines before widespread rail travel, making watermen both essential and exasperating. The hand-coloring technique enhances the vividness, with bold hues bringing the shouting men, flustered women, and bobbing boats to life on a modest 12 11/16 × 9 5/16 in. sheet. Held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this print exemplifies Rowlandson's influence in popular caricature, blending sharp social commentary with humor to delight and provoke viewers. It's a window into the gritty, vibrant pulse of Regency London.
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson · 1756–1827
Thomas Rowlandson (1757–1827) was an English artist and caricaturist whose satirical watercolors and prints captured the social life of Georgian Britain with unparalleled wit and technical mastery. Alongside James Gillray, he is recognized as one of the greatest British graphic artists, and his distinctive flowing line and keen observations have made his work integral to understanding late 18th an...