Thomas Rowlandson

Thomas Rowlandson 1757-1827

Rowlandson was a versatile artist working as caricaturist and watercolorist. Rowlandson was seldom published but he worked for numerous publications. Because of this, most people knew Rowlandson as a printer and publisher. Thomas Rowlandson was born on July 13, 1757 in London. His aunt primarily cared for him as a child along with his sister, Jane. Rowlandson studied at various different art schools but the most important part of his education was at the Royal Academy in Paris. During his time at the Royal Academy, he delved into his studies as a draughtsman. Rowlandson’s career in printmaking really didn’t start until 1780. His aunt died sometime after that and she left Rowlandson with a generous lump sum. Rowlandson was known as a gambler and likely gambled all of his aunt’s life savings away. When Rowlandson died, very few people attended his funeral as he was not well known. However after the First World War, collectors realized the importance of his work and he became one of the most relevant printers of his time.