Notorious characters. No. 1 [graphic]Gillray, James, 1756-1815, printmaker[1 December 1797]eng"A travesty of a half length portrait of S. Ireland: ('Hamilton pinxt S = Ireland fect.'). In both Ireland wears the dress of a Rubens picture, cf. BMSat 7020, and looks over his right shoulder, holding up folds of drapery which hang from the left shoulder. The original is young and handsome, with well-dressed hair, tied and falling on his shoulder. [The B.M. impression is dated in a contemporary hand 'Octr 1785'. Listed in Bromley's 'Catalogue', p. 390.] Gillray follows closely the pose and dress of the original, but the head is that of an older man, with a sly smile; his short curling hair recedes from his forehead. In his hand is a book, 'Ireland Shakspe . . .' ..."--British Museum online catalogueTitle etched above image.Two lines of text, followed by two lines of verse, below title: Mr. Bromley, in his Catalogue, &c., p. 390, has erroneously put this portrait into his seventh class ...Ten lines of text and verse below image: Inscription under a picture of the editor of Shakespeare's manuscripts, 1796, by the Revd. William Mason, author of Elfrida & Caractacus ...Temporary local subject terms: Forgery: literary forgery -- Forgers -- Literature: reference to John Milton, 1608-1674 -- Literature: Reference to John Dryden, 1634-1700 -- Reference to Wiilliam Mason, 1725-1797 -- Reference to George Steevens, 1736-1800.