1812
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dr Syntax Stopped by Highwaymen is a 1812 watercolor by Thomas Rowlandson, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
You see a man on horseback, stopped by two highwaymen in a landscape. This painting is interesting because it's part of a series that pokes fun at the idea of the Picturesque. It was made by an artist who liked to use humor to comment on his time. Look up the technique of chiaroscuro to learn more about how artists use contrast to create depth.
Thomas Rowlandson’s watercolour depicts Dr Syntax, a fictional traveler, seated on a horse while two highwaymen hold him at gunpoint, illustrating a scene from the satirical Dr Syntax series. The work, created in collaboration with writer William Coombe, critiques the Picturesque movement by showing the protagonist’s misfortunes during his quixotic journey. Originally part of a humorous narrative, the image was later republished and gained recognition across Europe.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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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