Lost to the annals of time, Thomas Rowlandson once called this very site home. This is 16 John Adam Street. We are standing before the Thomas Rowlandson Blue plaque. It commemorates the artist and caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson.
Thomas Rowlandson lived from 1757 to 1827. The London County Council erected this plaque in 1950. The Thomas Rowlandson Blue plaque is made of ceramic. It marks a house where Thomas Rowlandson lived. The inscription reads: “THOMAS ROWLANDSON 1757-1827 ARTIST AND CARICATURIST lived in a house on this site.”
Thomas Rowlandson was born in London in July 1756. He was the son of a businessman. Thomas Rowlandson learned to draw early. By age ten he spent his free time drawing. He attended Eton then the Royal Academy. At sixteen, he studied at a drawing school in Paris for two years.
In 1777, Rowlandson opened a studio in Wardour Street. Here, he became a portrait painter. He traveled Europe and drew his experiences. Rowlandson befriended James Gillray. Gillray was a leading caricaturist in London. Rowlandson was a heavy gambler. He lost his inheritance from a rich aunt. He paid debts with drawings of popular subjects.
During the 1780s Rowlandson focused on drawing. His work appeared in journals like The English Review. He illustrated books by Henry Fielding and others. Rowlandson worked with Tobias George Smollett. Some of Rowlandson’s cartoons caused trouble. Critics called him coarse.
In 1808, Rowlandson worked with Rudolph Ackermann. Ackermann published color-plate books. This included The Microcosm of London. William Pyne and William Combe wrote the text. Rowlandson painted people in the pictures. Augustus Pugin drew the buildings.
Rowlandson was horrified by the Peterloo Massacre. He drew political cartoons as a result. Thomas Rowlandson died on April 22, 1827.
So, next time you see a caricature remember Thomas Rowlandson. His art captured the spirit of his time. This Thomas Rowlandson Blue plaque marks his legacy.