About this work

This is a drawing showing a pig performing a trick for an audience. It depicts a group of people watching the pig interacting with cards on the floor. The detailed image shows the varied facial expressions of the audience members. There is text at the top of the image suggesting the pig has a unique ability, possibly related to languages. The drawing captures a moment of entertainment in a satirical style, with lines and cross-hatching used to emphasize the humor.

Description from the National Gallery of Art.

Thomas Rowlandson made this in 1785, aged 29. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

How it was made

Etching: The artist draws with a needle through a waxy coating on a copper plate, and acid bites the exposed lines. The plate is then inked, wiped and printed under pressure, so the line keeps the freedom of drawing.

Thomas Rowlandson

British, 1756–1827

Rights and the museum’s record

Public domain. The National Gallery of Art has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.

Object number: 1945.5.201
Credit: Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
Type: Print
Licence: CC0 1.0 Universal
Museum record: See it on the museum’s site

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