1815
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Boney's Trial, Sentence, and Dying Speech is a 1815 ink by Thomas Rowlandson, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This crowded scene shows a chaotic courtroom packed with people. At the front, a judge in a blue robe points dramatically at a man in chains, who’s wearing a crown and looking terrified. Above them, kings and emperors in fancy clothes watch from a balcony, while below, a packed crowd leans in, some laughing, some shocked. Speech bubbles fill the air with wild accusations and jokes. The judge’s speech bubble mocks Napoleon’s "dying words" after his trial. The artist exaggerates faces and poses to make the scene feel like a farce. Want to see more hand-colored etchings like this? Check out etching to learn how artists like Rowlandson made these sharp, detailed prints.
Thomas Rowlandson (; 13 July 1757 – 21 April 1827) was an English artist and caricaturist of the Georgian Era, noted for his political satire and social observation.
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