"Erskine, dressed as an officer of the Inns of Court Volunteers, kneels on one knee to receive spurs from Sir James Mansfield, in legal wig and gown, who stands over him, his sword held vertically. Erskine's knee rests on a bulky brief: 'The King v. Hardy Brief for Def[ence]'; he says: "Henceforth I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance [? and abjure] traiterous . . . (the words obscured by his plumed helmet)". In the foreground two couples of privates or N.C.O.s (left and right) walk off scowling suspiciously over their shoulders at the investiture. The design is framed by two arches of the cloister of the Temple Church. Through one (left) is seen the body of the church: three (sculptured) recumbent Knights Templars raise themselves from their tombs to gaze in horror at the scene. All five volunteers wear plumed helmets and epaulets. The two on the left carry, one a pike, the other a bayoneted musket, both directed towards the new knight. Under the foot of one is a torn paper: 'Mr Sheridan Speech & Vote of thanks to the Volunteer[s]'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from text in top part of image., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Approximate date of publication from the British Museum catalogue., Two columns of verse below image: Templars of old were valiant knights, defenders of their country's rights ..., 1 print : aquatint and etching on wove paper ; plate mark 37.8 x 30.4 cm, on sheet 39.5 x 31.5 cm., and Mounted on leaf 82 of James Sayers's Folio album of 144 caricatures.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Name):
Erskine, Thomas Erskine, Baron, 1750-1823, Mansfield, James, Sir, 1733-1821, Hardy, Thomas, 1752-1832., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816., and Temple Church (London, England),
"Kemble (scarcely caricatured), as Rolla (the noble Peruvian), stands with his left hand pointing upwards, his right arm thrown back, his head in profile to the right. He wears quasi-classical dress, with barbarian adornments, feathered head-dress, heavy gold belt, and ornaments. The costume appears substantially correct, with some exaggeration of the gold chains and ornaments."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Leaf 26 in an album with the spine title: Characatures by Dighton., and Figure identified as "Kemble" in pencil below plate mark.
Publisher:
Robert Dighton
Subject (Name):
Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816. and Kemble, John Philip, 1757-1823
Volume 1, opposite page 102. Memoirs of the life of the Right Honourable Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
Image Count:
1
Resource Type:
still image
Description:
Collective title devised by cataloger., Each drawing has the title of Sheridan's play "The Rivals" written in ink above, as well as the depicted actor's name, the name of the character portrayed, the theater name, and the performance date written in ink below., Statement of responsibility "by W. Loftie" added in pencil for each drawing, in lower right corner of sheet., Date from partially trimmed watermark on sheet of upper right drawing: 1794 [J. W]hatman., and Mounted together opposite page 102 (leaf numbered '154' in pencil) in volume 1 of an extra-illustrated copy of Thomas Moore's Memoirs of the life of the Right Honourable Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
Subject (Name):
Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816., Dodd, James William, 1740?-1796, Farren, Elizabeth, 1762-1829, Kemble, John Philip, 1757-1823, and Johnstone, John Henry, 1749-1828