'Mr Sousem's Notions of the Picturesque'. One of Phiz's many commentaries on tourism. 6 x 10 inches. Lithographic reproduction of pen and ink sketches. Mr Sousem, another emblematic type of bourgeois respectability, is enjoying the picturesque of the English countryside, which he likes, the caption tells us, because it does not contain any 'nasty hills or rocks'. However, his appreciation of the idyll is about to be disrupted by an unexpected danger. Phiz's critique of the ignorance of tourists is amusingly conveyed in its emphasis on showing an arrested moment before the calamity occurs; the vigorous drawing and sharp characterization add to the drollery. [Click on image to enlarge it.]
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Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke. You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned it and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.
Bibliography
Sketches of the Seaside and the Countryside by Phiz. London: The Graphotyping Company [1880].
Created 2 May 2020