Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827)

Rowlandson's cheeky eighteenth century paintings of satirical erotic behaviour are well known amongst the aficionados of this type of art, and this book presents them in a uniform collection, elegantly produced. A total of fifty well-printed illustrations are included, with an informative illustrated biography of Rowlandson provided by William Smith. The coloured plates, although they were the subject of an obscenity trial as recently as 1977, are scarcely more erotic than appear routinely in today's 'quality' newspapers, evidence of the fluctuating tastes, attitudes (and morals) of the English people. An excellent publication.… (mais)