A Tyger

John Murphy|James Northcote|John & Josiah Boydell

1790 · Mezzotint · Drawings and Prints

Emerging from a dark cave, Northcote's tiger fixes us with a mesmerizing stare. His stance and mask-like face suggest we are to be his next prey. Conceived during the opening years of the French Revolution, the image may be read as a metaphor warning Britons against the dangerous political forces on the loose across the Channel. The smoky medium of mezzotint was ideally suited to Murphy's rendering.

Artist

John Murphy|James Northcote|John & Josiah Boydell

Date

1790

Medium

Mezzotint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Edward W. Root, Elihu Root Jr. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant III, 1937