Thomas Rowlandson 1757 - 1827
Thomas Rowlandson was an English artist, caricaturist and print-maker of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was also a prolific illustrator of novels, books and periodicals.
Thomas attended primary school in London, where, at any early age, he drew caricatures of his teachers and headmasters. He attended business school in the 1760’s, followed by a two-year stint studying art in Paris.
Upon his return to London in 1774, he began a six-year enrollment at the Royal Academy. Although his works were exhibited and received awards, Rowlandson struggled as an artist, and returned to caricature as a way of earning money.
In 1809, he took up employment with publisher Rudolph Ackermann. It was there that several volumes of prints were published, including two volumes of English Dances With Death. From medieval times, “dances with death” was a popular motif throughout Europe. Rowlandson’s dances with death brought a unique British spin to the genre.
Another popular series were the Doctor Syntax titles. The first volume, published in 1812 entitled The Tour of Doctor Syntax and the Search of the Picturesque, is a fictional story of a pastor and schoolmaster who goes on tour of the countryside seeking fame and fortune by chronicling and illustrating his journeys. Additional titles went on to include The Second Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of Consolation in 1820, and The Third Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of a Wife in 1821.
Title Page: The Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of the Picturesque
The Reverened Dr. Syntax
Dr. Syntax Setting Out on his Tour of the Lakes
Dr. Syntax Loses his Way