A hard passage, or, Boney playing base on the Continent [graphic]Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827, printmaker[24 September 1808]eng"Napoleon plays a double bass, stooping forward, and looking with an agonized expression towards a music-book on a high stand, the pages headed 'Conquest of / Spain & Portugal' and ending in 'Volti Su . . . .' He says: "Plague take it! I never met with so difficult a 'passage' before - But if I can once get over the 'Flats', we shall do pretty well for you see the 'Key' will then change to B sharp." Behind Napoleon and on the right stand the Russian bear on his hind legs, muzzled, and blowing a French horn. He says: "Why that is 'Natural' enough brother Boney though this 'French horn' of yours seems rather out of Order I think." Napoleon, who wears a large bicorne, stands on a 'Map of the Continent' showing 'Spain' and 'Portugal'. Behind him are a drum and a roll of 'Boney's Orations Vol. 10th'."--British Museum online catalogueTitle etched below image.Printmaker from British Museum catalogue.Watermark, mostly trimmed: J. Whatman.Mounted on leaf 11 of volume 9 of 14 volumes.