The Rochester Address or The Corporation Going To Eat Roast Pork and Oysters with the R-G-T.
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 9/16 × 28 3/16 in. (21.8 × 71.6 cm) Plate: 7 13/16 × 27 1/16 in. (19.8 × 68.8 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
59.533.303
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This hand-colored etching, created on April 4, 1789, captures a lively satirical procession titled *The Rochester Address or The Corporation Going To Eat Roast Pork and Oysters with the R-G-T*. Attributed to both Thomas Rowlandson, the celebrated British caricaturist, and George IV (then Prince of Wales), the print uses sharp visual wit to lampoon a political gathering. The elongated format emphasizes a parade of men, highlighting the humorous absurdity of civic leaders marching toward a lavish meal with the future king. In the late 1780s, Britain was gripped by the Regency crisis following George III’s illness, making any depiction of the Prince and local corporations ripe for satire. Rowlandson’s etching technique, enhanced with delicate hand-coloring, allowed the work to circulate widely as an affordable commentary on power, patronage, and gluttony. The tags noting “Satire, Men, Processions” perfectly reflect its playful critique of public spectacle and elite dining rituals. Today, this print in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection offers a vivid window into Georgian-era political humor, reminding visitors how art once served as both entertainment and subtle social critique.
About the Artist
George IV, King of Great Britain and Ireland|Thomas Rowlandson (British|British) · 1762 |1757 –1830 |1827
British, London 1762–1830 Windsor|British, London 1757–1827 London