Doctor Syntax slapend in een bibliotheek 1812 - 1821

Curator: Thomas Rowlandson gave us this caricature "Doctor Syntax slapend in een bibliotheek," between 1812 and 1821. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. My immediate thought is of the paper itself; I imagine it handled quite differently than it is today. Editor: What a delightfully absurd scene. I'm struck by how dreamlike it feels. He's slumped in his chair, completely surrounded by these flying books with faces! Is that what literary success or failure feels like, a swarm of judgement? Curator: Perhaps. Or consider the social function of libraries then; they weren't simply repositories of knowledge, but also spaces where status was performed. Rowlandson uses watercolor and drawing techniques to gently satirize this environment and perhaps the doctor's ambition within it. Editor: There’s also something deeply relatable about this image. The allure of books and yet the undeniable temptation to nap amongst them. But what a clever trick with the floating faces – I can almost feel the weight of expectation pressing down, those books becoming judgmental cherubs or sneering gargoyles! Curator: Exactly! Look closer at the materials: watercolor allows for those translucent layers in the books and faces. It subtly mocks romantic ideals through humor and exaggeration of this figure. This isn't pure imagination; it's constructed with intent, using readily available materials for accessible critique. Editor: And in using such accessible materials – is Rowlandson inviting us, the viewer, to also find humor in what was then perceived as ‘high culture’? Or gently reminding us of the physical cost to accessing intellectual thought - books, like labor, become heavy in hand. I appreciate his light, sarcastic touch! It humanizes, perhaps, the rigor and demand for intellectual achievement in that period, even to the point of complete physical exhaustion. Curator: It's this blend of artistic skill and socio-political context which renders the piece poignant still today. Editor: Well said! Next time I'm feeling overwhelmed with books I’ll try to remember Doctor Syntax’s liberating nap. It is both reassuring and deeply funny!