Drawing Room, St. James'

A versatile and witty artist best known for his gently satirical scenes of London life, Thomas Rowlandson made many hand-colored aquatints that have the personalized touch of original drawings. This print resulted from Rowlandson’s long partnership with the publisher Rudolph Ackermann; the Microcosm of London series (1808) documented daily life in the city. Since Rowlandson’s gift was for figure drawing, the architectural backgrounds for the Microcosm of London were supplied by another artist, Augustus Charles Pugin.