Artwork
The Hunt Supper
The Hunt Supper is a watercolor work on paper by the Rococo painting artist Thomas Rowlandson. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The Hunt Supper, a 1780 watercolour by Thomas Rowlandson, depicts a chaotic gathering of men in advanced states of inebriation, conveying the unbridled excess of a revelry gone awry.
Subject & Meaning
The scene focuses on the humorous, exaggerated portrayal of drunkenness, with figures shown in various stages of collapse, celebration, and shock, highlighting the consequences of overindulgence.
Technique & Style
Rowlandson employed loose, sketchy lines and muted colours to capture the frenetic, disorderly atmosphere, emphasizing the tumultuous nature of the event through dynamic, expressive brushwork.
History & Provenance
Created in 1780, The Hunt Supper has a related engraving, *Choice spirits’ Anniversary Meeting*, published in *Miseries of the Country*, indicating its themes resonated within Rowlandson’s broader satirical work.
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.
