Doctor Syntax Sells Grizzle, from The Tour of Doctor Syntax c. 1812

Curator: This print, "Doctor Syntax Sells Grizzle," dates to around 1812 and is by Thomas Rowlandson. The Art Institute of Chicago holds it. It combines etching and watercolor on paper. What springs to mind when you look at it? Editor: The whole scene bubbles with a mischievous energy! It feels like a fleeting moment plucked from a stage play, doesn't it? The colours, though faded now, hint at something vibrant, satirical perhaps? Curator: Satire is definitely Rowlandson’s hallmark. Let's consider the context. These prints, part of the "Tour of Doctor Syntax" series, were immensely popular, feeding a growing demand for illustrated social commentary. Cheap prints were an accessible commodity to an expanding middle class. Editor: So, beyond the story of Doctor Syntax – a parson with more enthusiasm than sense, I gather – Rowlandson's really holding up a mirror to English society, isn't he? A bit of gentle mockery, a touch of theatrical exaggeration... Curator: Exactly. Consider the caricatured figures; each pose and expression exaggerated to emphasize flaws. It reveals evolving class tensions and a certain level of commodification of virtue during this era, right down to the selling of a humble horse like "Grizzle". Look at the details in the architecture and clothing – all products, all purchasable. Editor: Absolutely. And that gives it such a delightful sense of the absurd. This moment of buying and selling. And it makes me consider the relationship between the artwork as an object and the culture it depicts. Was Rowlandson commenting on commercial transactions or was he only focused on its aesthetics? Curator: It's inseparable. Rowlandson critiqued a rapidly changing England through affordable prints made possible by industrial advances in paper production and etching. His artistry was deeply intertwined with economic accessibility. This speaks to the romantic aesthetic; embracing drama. Editor: In this scene, despite the hustle of bartering, there's a palpable loneliness, almost a yearning quality about those figures. Perhaps this is the magic of Rowlandson! It all makes one contemplate the idea that all commercial relations are not without emotional connection. Curator: A beautiful way to put it. He captured a society in transition with sharp observation and poignant emotion accessible to even those with limited means. Editor: Agreed, an object lesson on how commerce, commentary, and creativity converge.