1809 St Luke’s Lunatic Asylum Engraving – A lot going on! By Pugin & Rowlandson Bedlam London

This is a rare and highly desirable Georgian print dated 1809.

It depicts a scene of the interior of St Luke’s Lunatic Asylum (full details of this institution below).

We have found one in the London Science Museum Collection (see last image).

There are all sorts of weird and strange things going on in this scene!

Starting from the bottom left:

A women crouching on the floor with another woman kneeling over her with arms raised and appears to be screaming loudly.

Next to them is a woman standing with legs crossed, hand held to her head as if in deep contemplation. It is strange how she is depicted in a dark mood: she is standing in the same light as those next to her but appears to be in the shadows!

Then there are two women with some type of crown or wreathe in their heads. One is leading the other as if they are on some kind of tour!
Delusions of grandeur come to mind!

Then there is a woman, sat with one hand in her hair and the other holding her foot while she stares intently at her toes!

Behind her is a woman leaning on a pile of bedding while she watches two women wash down a wooden bed (bucket under the bed).

Sat next to them is a woman clearly please about something…something moving around under her skirts!

Standing next to her is the only male in this print – wearing a top hat – must be the doctor!

And then off into the distance toward the right: groups of people in various poses.

Back to the left side, behind those already described – you can see one woman talking to the wall in the archway and next to her another one with arms raised screaming at the huge window.

Clearly a lot going on here – certainly captures the atmosphere of a typical Georgian ‘insane asylum’. As mentioned in detail below, St. Luke’s was built opposite what was commonly known as ‘Bedlam’. Mental health services in England two hundred years ago were basic, primitive and brutal for everyone but in particular for women.

This print is guaranteed to be over 200 years old and has the following information printed on it:

“ST LUKE’S HOSPITAL
London Pub. August 1st 1809 at R Ackermann’s Repository of Arts 101 Strand

Rowlandson & Pugin Del[ineated] & Sculpt[ured]

J T Stadler Agent”

Just imagine who would have owned and displayed this painting on their wall over 200 years ago!

This genuine antique print is professionally mounted on good quality card.

It mount measures 30cm x 27cm

The visible part of the print measures 16cm x 13cm.

Overall in remarkable, crisp, clean and bright condition with just some minor scattered foxing.

St Luke’s Hospital for Lunatics first opened in 1751 in a converted foundry on Windmill Hill, Upper Moorfields, London. This was close to what was the then site of Bethlem Hospital (aka Bedlam) and St Luke’s was intended to relieve some of the pressure on that institution. However, its capacity was limited from the start and within two decades moves were underway to build a larger hospital on a new site.

This second St Luke’s opened nearby in Old Street in 1786. It was a grand building, with a huge 150 metre wide frontage. Unlike the exterior though, the interior was bleaker with some large, but austere spaces – like that illustrated here – but also single cell-like rooms for 300 patients. Beneath a small window placed high on the wall, each room was sparsely furnished, with bedding straw on a wooden bedstead and no heating.

St Luke’s was more progressive in its treatments than many institutions and, with some improvements made to the building’s interior, its work continued throughout the 19th century. But by the early 20th century it was seen as unsuitable for purpose and the hospital relocated for a third time, to Muswell Hill in North London. The Old Street building was sold to the Bank of England who used it as a print works, before it was demolished in 1963.

This print was made from an original painting by Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827), in association with French architect and draughtsman Augustine Pugin (1762-1832). It was engraved by John Stadler (active 1780-1812) and printed by Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834), a German printer, as part a famous series of images called ‘Microcosm of London.’

We are always coming across rare and unusual antiques through our contacts and networks of dealers and collectors built up over 30 years.
Keep checking our listings or feel free to drop us a message if you are looking for anything specific.

Free UK shipping included – overseas buyers please request a shipping quote.