A Tyger
Emerging from a dark cave, Northcote's tiger fixes us with a mesmerizing stare. His stance and masklike 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.
Artwork Details
- Title: A Tyger
- Engraver: John Murphy (Irish, active 1778–1817, died after 1820 London)
- Artist: After James Northcote (British, Plymouth 1746–1831 London)
- Publisher: John & Josiah Boydell (British, 1786–1804)
- Date: 1790
- Medium: Mezzotint
- Dimensions: Plate: 19 × 28 in. (48.3 × 71.1 cm)
Sheet: 20 13/16 × 26 1/8 in. (52.9 × 66.4 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924
- Object Number: 24.63.939
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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