{"product_id":"thomas-rowlandson-a-mismatched-couple-original-18th-century-watercolour-painting-kd-486","title":"Thomas Rowlandson, A Mismatched Couple – 18th-century watercolour painting","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original 18th-century watercolour painting – Thomas Rowlandson, A Mismatched Couple.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis humorous signed drawing by Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827) portrays a beautiful young lady conversing with a rotund older man—a theme of mismatch that often features in the artist's works. Small in size and succinct in composition, the drawing is possibly a preparatory study for a larger subject.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRowlandson often used this theme to supreme satirical effect, depicting a difference in physical features—age, size, beauty—to highlight the the gap between romantic ideals and harsh reality. The theme is taken to a more grotesque extreme in works such as 'Doctor Convex and Lady Concave' and 'Dropsy Courting Consumption' (Metropolitan Museum, New York). By comparison, the social commentary in the present drawing is relatively gentle and genial.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn watercolour with brown ink. On cream laid paper, tipped onto backing paper. Please note the small size of this artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54290499371337,"sku":"KD-486","price":625.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/KD-486.jpg?v=1777476512","url":"https:\/\/somersetandwood.com\/products\/thomas-rowlandson-a-mismatched-couple-original-18th-century-watercolour-painting-kd-486","provider":"Somerset \u0026 Wood Fine Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}