Fine Art Poster
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A giclée print on 200gsm matte fine art paper, using a twelve-colour process for accurate, fade-resistant colour. Supplied unframed, delivered flat or rolled.
Procession of the Cod Company from St. Giles's to Billings Gate - Thomas Rowlandson
Regular price
$29.00 USD
Sale price
$29.00 USD
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
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Description
A satirical etching by Thomas Rowlandson depicting a group of fishwives navigating the bustling environment of Billingsgate Market in Georgian London.
Thomas Rowlandson, a master of late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century British caricature, captures the boisterous energy of London street life in this etching. The scene depicts a group of fishwives, known as the Cod Company, making their way towards Billingsgate Market. Rowlandson employs his characteristic fluid line work, combined with delicate watercolour washes, to define the figures and the bustling maritime environment.
The composition focuses on the physical presence of the women, who carry heavy baskets of fish upon their heads. Their postures are exaggerated, a common device in Rowlandson's work to convey character and social status through physical form. The artist balances the foreground figures against the architectural backdrop of the wharf, where ships are docked and workers continue their daily tasks. The inclusion of a seated figure in the lower left, smoking a pipe beside a display of fish, provides a grounding element to the scene.
Rowlandson's approach to social commentary is observational rather than moralising. He documents the specific dress, mannerisms, and social interactions of the working classes in London with a keen eye for detail. The etching reflects the popular print culture of the era, where such works were produced for a wide audience interested in the humour and grit of urban existence. The colour palette remains restrained, allowing the etched lines to provide the primary structure for the narrative. This piece offers a glimpse into the daily rhythms of the capital, capturing a moment of transit and trade that was typical of the period. The work remains a primary source for understanding the visual culture and social dynamics of Georgian London, presented with the wit and technical precision that defined Rowlandson's career.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
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Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
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To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
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- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
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Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Complete The Look
Procession of the Cod Company from St. Giles's to Billings Gate - Thomas Rowlandson
Regular price
From $29.00 USD
Sale price
From $29.00 USD
Regular price
Fine Art Poster / A4 (21x29.7 cm) / -
Artist Biography
Thomas Rowlandson
Rowlandson inherited seven thousand pounds from his aunt and gambled it away. He was known to sit at gaming tables for thirty-six hours at a stretch. The loss is the reason he produced over ten thousand drawings and prints in his lifetime: the volume had more to do with debts than with artistic ambition.
He trained at the Royal Academy Schools in London and may have spent time in Paris, though the often-quoted two years at a Parisian academy has been narrowed by recent scholarship to a few weeks at most. His technique was fast, fluent, and populated by figures who bulge, lurch, stumble and grope their way through Georgian England. The line is always in motion. Fat men eat. Thin women flirt. Horses rear. Coaches overturn. The world in a Rowlandson drawing is always on the verge of falling over.
He drew for the satirical press, illustrated books (including the Dr Syntax series, which sold well enough to keep him solvent for several years), and produced erotica for a private clientele that was never published in his lifetime. Unlike James Gillray, whose satire was ferocious and politically targeted, Rowlandson's humour was broader and warmer. He drew human beings as comic animals: vain, greedy, amorous and fundamentally absurd.
His subjects included Vauxhall Gardens, the races at Brighton, country fairs, and the particular chaos of London streets. He drew the city as a place where everyone is either trying to sell something, steal something, or seduce someone, often simultaneously. He died in 1827, aged seventy, having drawn everything he saw and gambled most of what he earned.
He trained at the Royal Academy Schools in London and may have spent time in Paris, though the often-quoted two years at a Parisian academy has been narrowed by recent scholarship to a few weeks at most. His technique was fast, fluent, and populated by figures who bulge, lurch, stumble and grope their way through Georgian England. The line is always in motion. Fat men eat. Thin women flirt. Horses rear. Coaches overturn. The world in a Rowlandson drawing is always on the verge of falling over.
He drew for the satirical press, illustrated books (including the Dr Syntax series, which sold well enough to keep him solvent for several years), and produced erotica for a private clientele that was never published in his lifetime. Unlike James Gillray, whose satire was ferocious and politically targeted, Rowlandson's humour was broader and warmer. He drew human beings as comic animals: vain, greedy, amorous and fundamentally absurd.
His subjects included Vauxhall Gardens, the races at Brighton, country fairs, and the particular chaos of London streets. He drew the city as a place where everyone is either trying to sell something, steal something, or seduce someone, often simultaneously. He died in 1827, aged seventy, having drawn everything he saw and gambled most of what he earned.
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Fine Art Framed
From $89
The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
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