Artwork
Madame Very Restaurateur, Palais Royal Paris
Madame Very Restaurateur, Palais Royal Paris is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Thomas Rowlandson. It dates from 1814 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Thomas Rowlandson’s 1814 hand‑coloured etching titled *Madame Very Restaurateur, Palais Royal, Paris* portrays a woman seated at a table within a bustling dining venue. She wears a white gown with puffed sleeves, her hair gathered in an up‑do, and is surrounded by a bowl of fruit, a potted plant and a basket of playing cards, suggesting a lively social setting.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment in the Palais Royal’s restaurant scene, focusing on a female proprietor or patron named Madame Very. By placing everyday objects and a relaxed pose at the centre, Rowlandian humorously documents the manners and commercial atmosphere of early‑19th‑century Parisian cafés.
Technique & Style
Rowlandson employed a traditional etching process, later enhanced with hand‑applied colour to accentuate details such as the white dress and fruit. The line work is crisp and satirical, characteristic of his caricatural approach, while the colour adds a modest realism to the interior setting.
History & Provenance
Created in 1814, the print reflects Rowlandson’s prolific output of socially observant prints during the Georgian period. Though an English artist, he frequently turned his attention to continental subjects, and this piece likely circulated among collectors of topical prints in the early nineteenth century.
Context
Rowlandson’s career was marked by a blend of political satire and genre scenes for illustrated books and topographical publications. This etching fits within his broader practice of documenting public life with a witty eye, offering a visual commentary on the cosmopolitan culture of post‑Napoleonic Paris.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
