Walking Sticks and Round-A-Bouts for the Year 1801

Art Historical Context

Step into the whimsical world of early 19th-century British satire with *Walking Sticks and Round-Aouts for the Year 1*, a hand-colored etching created by the renowned caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson, with contributions from artist George Murgatroyd and publisher Rudolph Ackermann London. Dated May 8, 1801, this lively print pokes fun at the era's fashion obsessions,ating the dandyish trends in men's walking sticks and "round-a-bouts"—stylish, short jackets popular among Regency gentlemen. Vibrant hand-coloring brings the exaggerated figures of men and women to life, their oversized accessories and comical poses capturing the absurdity of high-society style. Rowlandson, a master of caricature during the Georgian period, collaborated frequently with Ackermann, whose Repository of Arts popularized such affordable, colorful prints. These etchings served as social commentary, mocking the vanity and fleeting fads of the upper class amid the Napoleonic Wars' backdrop, when escapism through humor flourished. The medium—etching with meticulous hand-applied watercolor—was ideal for satire, allowing mass production while retaining artistic flair, making it accessible to a wide audience beyond elites. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this piece from The Elisha Whittelsey Collection highlights how visual wit shaped cultural discourse, reminding us that fashion's extravagance has long inspired laughter. (198 words)

About the Artist

Thomas Rowlandson|Rudolph Ackermann, London|George Murgatroyd Woodward · 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...