“This isn't just a table of contents; it's a window into how an 18th-century reader would first encounter a classic satirical novel, offering a structured preview of its "adventures."”
This small letterpress print, a table of contents for Henry Fielding's "The Adventures of Joseph Andrews," offers a glimpse into the literary world of 18th-century England. Printed in 1792, it provides a structured guide to a novel known for its satirical take on society and morality. The precise, functional layout of the text, typical of letterpress, reflects the era's approach to book production. While seemingly straightforward, this print is a tangible link to how readers engaged with popular fiction centuries ago, serving as a portal to a story that itself satirizes the "adventures" of its eponymous hero and his friend. It speaks to the importance of narrative structure and the orderly presentation of information in a time before digital browsing. This piece, though modest in scale, connects us directly to the physical experience of literature during the Georgian Era.
- Artist
- Thomas Rowlandson
- Date
- 1792
- Medium
- Letterpress
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- Sheet (trimmed): 7 3/16 × 4 5/16 in. (18.2 × 11 cm)
- Collection
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The crisp, uniform lines of the letterpress type.
The detailed listing of chapters, hinting at the novel's plot.
The careful spacing and alignment of the text on the trimmed sheet.
The small size (7 3/16 × 4 5/16 in.), typical for a book page.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Table of Contents: "The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and his friend Mr. Abraham Adams" — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Thomas Rowlandson
Thomas Rowlandson was a prolific English caricaturist of the Georgian Era, renowned for his robust political satires and keen social observations.
Further Works by Rowlandson
Lady Booby attempts to seduce the immaculate Joseph, from "The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams"
1792 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Parson Adams Discovered in a Suspicious Situation with Mrs. Slipslop, from "The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and his friend Mr. Abraham Adams"
1792 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Parson Adams Engaged In A Perilous Hunting Adventure, from "The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and his friend Mr. Abraham Adams"
1792 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Parson Adams & Fanny examined as culprits before the country Justice, from "The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and his friend Mr Abraham Adams"
1792 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Title Page: "The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams"
1792 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Young Adams Catechised by Parson Adams, from "The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and his friend Mr. Abraham Adams"
1792 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Rowlandson: works from the same years.
Same era · 1770s–1800s
A Limekiln, Possibly at Briton Ferry in South Wales
J. M. W. Turner · 1797 · Yale Center for British Art
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Napoleon Crossing the Alps
Jacques-Louis David · 1800 · Musée national de Malmaison et Bois-Préau
Same era · 1770s–1800s
The Monk by the Sea
Caspar David Friedrich · 1800 · Alte Nationalgalerie
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775)
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres · 1805 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Samuel Fisher Bradford
Rembrandt Peale · 1803 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Milton Dictating to His Daughter
Henry Fuseli · 1794 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Portrait of a Man
Benjamin West · 1790 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1770s–1800s
John Blake (1770–1810), Mayor of Maidstone (1799)
Samuel Drummond · 1799 · Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Mrs John Smart I
John Smart of Ipswich · 1785 · Dulwich Picture Gallery
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Portrait of the Artist's Father
Thomas Stewardson · 1800 · Abbot Hall Art Gallery
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Winchester from the South
Tobias Young · 1803 · Winchester Guildhall
Same era · 1770s–1800s
Cilgerran Castle
William Havell · 1805 · National Museum Cardiff
