Thomas Rowlandson

English painter and caricaturist, Thomas Rowlandson (13 July 1756 – 21 April 1827) was noted for his political satire and social observation.

The son of a tradesman, Rowlandson became a student in the Royal Academy. At age 16 he went to study in Paris. After establishing a studio as a portrait painter, he began to draw caricatures to supplement his income, and this soon became his major interest.

Like other contemporary caricaturists, he produced erotica which was censured by the 1840s. He created comic images of familiar social types of his day and also wrote satirical verse under the pen name of Peter Pindar. His characters ranged from the ridiculous, pretentious, enormous bosoms and bottoms.