"Alderman Boydell (half length), wearing a bag-wig, stands in profile to the right, slashing with a knife a small picture on the wall. He glares furtively; the fingers of his left hand are greedily crisped. He says: "There! There! - There's a nice gash! - there! - ah, this will be a glorious subject for to make a fuss about in the News-papers; - a hundred Guineas reward, will make a fine sound: - there! there! - O, there will be fine talking about the Gallery: and it will bring in a rare sight of Shillings for seeing of the cut Pictures; - there! - & there again! - egad there's nothing like having a good headpiece! - here!! - here!! - there! there! - and then these Small pictures won't cost a great deal of money replacing; - indeed one would not like to cut a large one to pieces for the sake of making it look as if People envied us; no! - that would cost rather too much; & my pocket begins - but mum! - thats nothing to nobody - well, none can blame me for going the cheapest way to work: - to [Etched over 'there', erased but just legible] keep up the reputation of the Gallery - there! there! there! - there! there!" ..."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Peep into the Shakespeare Gallery
Description:
Title etched below image; first five words of title have been scored through but left conspicuously legible., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: Shakespeare Gallery -- Vandalism -- Allusion to Renwick Williams, 'The Monster.'
Publisher:
Pubd. April 26th, 1791, by H. Humphry [sic], N. 18 Old Bond Street