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This is a painting of a scene in a bookstore or library. The scene portrays an interior filled with shelves stocked with books. In the foreground, piles of books are stacked on a table while others are opened. The setting conveys a space dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, with a rich, detailed backdrop capturing the essence of an 18th-century study area or bookshop. This is in the style of Thomas Rowlandson.
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This is a painting of a scene in a bookstore or library. The scene portrays an interior filled with shelves stocked with books. In the foreground, piles of books are stacked on a table while others are opened. The setting conveys a space dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, with a rich, detailed backdrop capturing the essence of an 18th-century study area or bookshop. This is in the style of Thomas Rowlandson.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Bookseller and Author

Thomas Rowlandson

Date
1784
Medium
hand-colored etching and aquatint
Dimensions
sheet: 34.2 × 40.4 cm (13 7/16 × 15 7/8 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1945.5.176
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1776 to 1800
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • British
  • interior
  • architecture
  • Costume
  • Book
  • Figures
  • Writing

NGA object ID 30953. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.