Butterfly Hunting

1806

Thomas Rowlandson

Associated Names
Thomas Rowlandson

Artist, British, 1756 - 1827

The image shows a well-maintained garden pathway with a small group of people chasing butterflies with nets. In the background, there is a distant church-like building surrounded by trees. The style features detailed brushstrokes defining the figures, architecture, and plants. The color palette includes vibrant greens, yellows, blues, and soft pastels. Close to us, a man runs after a butterfly near a flowerbed, while two other figures join in the pursuit. On the right, two women stand near a house door, with a third figure watching from an open window above them.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    hand-colored etching

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 18.1 x 23.7 cm (7 1/8 x 9 5/16 in.)
    sheet: 23 x 28.5 cm (9 1/16 x 11 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1945.5.890

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Grego 1880, Vol. II, no. 61

Associated Artworks

See all 153 artworks

Self-Portrait

Thomas Rowlandson

1756

Caricatures (volume III)

Thomas Rowlandson

1756

The Caricature Magazine

Thomas Rowlandson

1756

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1990

  • Gardens on Paper: Prints and Drawings, 1200-1900, NGA, 1990, no. 89, repro.

Bibliography

1880

  • Grego, Joseph. Rowlandson the caricaturist; a selection from his works with anecdotal descriptions of his famous caricatures. 2 vols. London: Chattoand Windus, 1880. Reprint. New York: Collector's Editions, 1970.

1990

  • Clayton, Virginia Tuttle. Gardens on Paper: Prints and Drawings, 1200-1900. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1990: 89.

Wikidata ID

Q65085318

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