The Great Exhibition "Wot is to Be", Probable Results of The Industry of All Nations in The Year '51, Showing What is to be Exhibited, Who is To Exhibit, in Short How Its All Going to Be Done 1850

This satirical print, made by George Augustus Sala, imagines what global industry might bring to the Great Exhibition of 1851. Executed in pen and ink, Sala’s drawing style, with its frenetic, scratchy lines, perfectly suits the subject. The print takes aim at the social context of the Great Exhibition. Sala’s use of caricature, and the exaggerated portrayal of various nations and their products, speaks to the era’s prevailing attitudes towards industry, labor, and class. He presents a vision of global exchange that is both comical and critical, highlighting the complex relationship between nations and commodities, and inviting the viewer to question the true cost of progress. The artist is asking us to consider who benefits and who is exploited within this rapidly industrializing world. Ultimately, the image is a reminder that materials, processes, and cultural context are not separate from the art object. They are integral to its meaning.