ROWLANDSON, THOMAS 175_ ( 6— ng__s__ \ 1_27,, _ car, caturist, was born in Old Jewry, London, in July 5756, the son of a tradesman or city merchant. On leaving school he became a student in the Royal Academy, but at the age of 16 he went to study in Paris, and afterwards made frequent tours on the Con tinent. In 1775 he exhibited at the Royal Academy a drawing of "Delilah visiting Samson in Prison." He took to drawing carica tures as a means of livelihood. His Academy drawing of Vaux hall (1784) had been engraved by Pollard, and the print was a suc cess. Rowlandson was largely employed by Rudolph Ackermann, the art publisher, who in 1809-11 issued in his Poetical Magazine "The Schoolmaster's Tour"—a series of plates with verses by Dr. William Coombe which became very popular. Again engraved by Rowlandson himself in 1812, and issued under the title of the "Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of the Picturesque," they had reached a fifth edition by 1813, and were followed (182o) by "Dr. Syntax in Search of Consolation," and (1821) by the "Third
Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of a Wife." The same collaboration of designer, author and publisher resulted in the English "Dance of Death" (1814-16), and the "Dance of Life" (1822). Rowland son also illustrated Smollett, Goldsmith and Sterne. Other designs are in The Spirit of the Public Journals (1825), The English Spy (1825), and The Humourist (1831). He died in London on April 22, 1827.
Rowlandson's designs were usually executed in outline with the reed-pen, and delicately washed with colour. They were then etched by the artist on the copper, and afterwards by a professional engraver, the impressions being finally coloured by hand. As a designer the quality of his work suffered from haste and over-production.
See J. Grego, Rowlandson the Caricaturist, a Selection from his Works, etc. (2 vols., 188o).