Without Exception:
A selection of original prints by Thomas Rowlandson to The English Dance of Death

26 June - 21 August 2004

Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) was masterful in recording contemporary 18th-century life in a vivacious and often comical way. The son of a successful business man, Rowlandson was born in London. He learnt to draw before he could write and after training at the Royal Academy he left for Paris, aged 16, to spend two years at a specialist drawing school. He returned to London and opened his own studio in 1777. Initially he worked as a portrait painter, but his love for drawing overtook this ambition and he spent much of his time executing political cartoons.

In 1808 Rowlandson started working for the publisher and lithographer, Rudolph Ackermann. His decision to carry out a series of prints for the Dance of Death was probably influenced by Ackermann who subsequently published Rowlandson's prints in 1815 and 1816.

Dating back to the mediaeval period the Dance of Death confirms that death comes to us all; no matter who we are we all die. Traditionally it was designed to demonstrate the fragility of life and make people appreciate what they had before it was too late. Usually a procession is shown; led by death, depicted as a skeleton, it is made up of people from all walks of life - proving that there really is no escape. In some examples, artists have made moral judgements about who should be part of this procession or how they are depicted. Rowlandson's version is ambiguous; he leaves it up to the viewer to work out who is in the pecking order. This approach reflects his own view on life which was that everybody is a free spirit.

Exhibitions Officer, Sophie Wilson says: Not only do the prints provide a wonderful insight to 18th-century life and its perceptions of death, they are beautifully executed as well. Finely etched and subtly coloured, it is easy to see why they are often considered to be amongst Rowlandson's best work.

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