Rowlandson, Thomas (1756 – 1827) – Two Fashionable Ladies Reading.

This beautiful drawing of two women reading shows an unfamiliar side of Rowlandson. We are used to his witty, critical eye, to satires that range from the playful (Cf. No.49) to outright shocking. It proves, if there was any doubt, that he was the human observer par excellence of his day. There are two prints of women reading made at this date, both of which are simliar in tone to this drawing. Given the intimate nature of the drawing, it is possible the woman on the right is his sister Elizabeth Howitt, to whom she bears a resemblance.