He certainly captured the 18th century cityscape and libertine life in his drawings. We notice a gentleness and good nature in the drawings below. The first is of the forgotten occupation of cat meat sellers -- who toured the city selling scraps of meat for people to feed their pets. It might have been a hazardous job if you were nervous about being followed by packs of animals. Notice the cat wisely surveying the scene from the second story. I do not know if cats' meat seller, was really a term for someone who sold pet food in general. Pet food until the 1950s was quite a different world business than today; a difference from today might be that expensive pet food only occasionally comes from dubious sources today. I also wonder how often the content was cats. I never read that, it just popped into my mind.
This is not a caricature. The sketch below shows his love of cats, who frequently appear in his drawings.
And here is a scene in the office of a bookseller. In the 18th century the term bookseller including the whole range from publishers to distributors. The people trying to enter the office are unpublished writers, and the fellow before the desk is asking for more money for something already published. Very 18th century, there is no romanticism in Rowlandson's sketches. The cat for instance is just interested in getting warm by the fireplace.
This is not a caricature. The sketch below shows his love of cats, who frequently appear in his drawings.
And here is a scene in the office of a bookseller. In the 18th century the term bookseller including the whole range from publishers to distributors. The people trying to enter the office are unpublished writers, and the fellow before the desk is asking for more money for something already published. Very 18th century, there is no romanticism in Rowlandson's sketches. The cat for instance is just interested in getting warm by the fireplace.
No comments:
Post a Comment