Dimensions: support: 246 x 193 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: This is "September the First" by Thomas Rowlandson, from the Tate collection. Editor: My first thought? A bit menacing, yet comical. It’s that bulging belly and the focused rifle that gets me. Curator: Rowlandson's economy of line is remarkable here. The weight of the forms is all suggested through tonal variation in the wash. Notice the confident strokes defining the figures and the dog. Editor: The satire's delicious, isn't it? The date suggests the start of hunting season, but it feels like Rowlandson's poking fun at the pompous hunter and his ghoulish assistant. Curator: Indeed, it's a brilliant study in physiognomy and social commentary. Editor: It really encapsulates that late 18th-century sensibility—satire mixed with just a touch of darkness. Curator: A truly insightful piece. Editor: It gives you a lot to think about, doesn't it? A conversation starter, for sure.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/rowlandson-september-the-first-t09194
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This satirical drawing by Rowlandson clearly demonstrates the type of lines characteristic of a reed pen. Rowlandson was a prolific satirical and caricature artist and is known often to have used a reed pen. In this drawing, he has gone over a faint graphite underdrawing using a fairly diluted black ink. The lines are strong and of a uniform width and tend to be square-ended; these characteristics would have been impossible to achieve with a quill. Gallery label, August 2004
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