"The head of Pitt, gazing up in profile to the right, is travestied as a fungus; his long neck represents the stalk, which grows out of a crown resting on a dunghill on which are three satellite toad-stools. Clouds and landscape, slightly indicated, form a background."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Toadstool upon a dung-hill
Description:
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue. and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., and Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Pitt as Don Quixote (and Petruchio) bestrides a sorry rosinante, the white horse of Hanover, scarred and decrepit and apparently at the point of death. Behind him sits the King of Prussia. Holland, as Sancho Panza, on the animal's hind-quarters, clasps Prussia round the waist. The Sultan, on the extreme left, crouches behind the horse, kissing its tail. Pitt, who holds a whip, points a thin mail-clad hand arrogantly at Catherine of Russia (right), a stout woman who has sunk in terror to her knees, but is supported by the Emperor Leopold and by France, a grotesquely lean Frenchman of the old régime, wearing a cocked hat ornamented with fleur-de-lis. Pitt wears Mambrino's helmet (the barber's basin) surmounted by a crown and a feather. He says: ""Katharine, that cap of yours becomes you not; "Off with that bauble, 'tis my royal will." The 'cap' is a crescent in her hair, symbolizing her conquests from Turkey and, more especially, Oczakoff, the place in dispute. Pitt's horse (George III), says, weeping, "Heigho! to have myself thus rid to death, by a Boy & his playmates, merely to frighten an Old Woman - I wish I was back in Hanover to get myself a belly full". A holster on the animal's neck is inscribed 'G.R', but the 'G' has been struck out and replaced by 'P' (to indicate that Pitt has usurped the prerogative of the Crown, cf. BMSat 7479, &c). The King of Prussia, with his chin on Pitt's shoulder, glares fiercely; he holds a drawn sabre and says, "Blood & Dunder, I would give her one good Prussian stroking". Sancho Panza, a fat Dutchman, says, "I'm in a good humour to give her a dram of right Holland's". The crouching Turk cries obsequiously, "Amman! Amman! Anglois, Alia, Alia". Catherine is terrified, she turns away from Pitt exclaiming: ""I see my Lances are but straws; "My strength is weak, my weakness past compare; "And am asham'd, that Women are so simple "To offer War when they should kneel for Peace." France says, "O, by Gar! if Mirabeau was but 'live! Sacre Dieu." The Emperor, who is crowned, and wears a cloak on which is the Habsburg eagle, says, "Das is de devil, to give up all again". Beside Catherine is a sword tying across a plan of a fortress, Oczakow."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Modern Quixote and What you will
Description:
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue. and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
S. W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Catherine--II,--Empress of Russia,--1729-1796--Caricatures and cartoons., Fores, S. W., publisher., Frederick William--II,--King of Prussia,--1744-1797--Caricatures and cartoons., George--III,--King of Great Britain,--1738-1820--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Leopold--II,--Holy Roman Emperor,--1747-1792--Caricatures and cartoons., Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., and Selim--III,--Sultan of the Turks,--1761-1808--Caricatures and cartoons.
Subject (Topic):
Great Britain--Foreign relations--1760-1820--Humor.
"Pitt, very thin and elongated, poises on one toe on a tight-rope; he holds a long balancing-pole in both hands, on one end (left) sits the Sultan, on the other (right) Catherine II. The Turk, whose end of the pole is slightly the lower, clutches it desperately, saying, "My dear Billy, do help me to make another push, & I'll give you - half of my Seraglio". The fat Empress sits with her hands on her hips; she wears a crown, in her right hand is a sceptre, in her left a paper inscribed 'New Russian Conquests'. She says "Both Billy - the Flat, & yourself may do your worst you circumcised dog! get me down if you can! - I'll match you all, & swallow Thousands more!" Pitt stands with his head raised arrogantly in profile to the right; he says, "The old Hag cannot move me, & Seraglios cannot bribe me: - I have nothing to do with these matters - my Pole will always remain level - ". On the ground beneath the rope stands a dwarfish Sheridan (right) in profile to the left, grotesquely caricatured as a clown; he wears trousers and long sleeves which cover his hands and hang down. He says: "O! the Devil! the Devil! The Cow leaps over the Moon! And if I could once get up on the Rope, Lord! I'd fill my Pockets soon: - I mean, I would soon bring her down: fol der lol, fol der ol"."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Posterity of the immortal Chatham turned posture master
Description:
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Text following title: Vide Sherridans speech., and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Catherine--II,--Empress of Russia,--1729-1796--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Selim--III,--Sultan of the Turks,--1761-1808--Caricatures and cartoons., and Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons.
Subject (Topic):
Great Britain--Foreign relations--1789-1820--Humor.
"A scaffold extends across the foreground: Fox raises an axe to strike the neck of George III, whose head is held by Sheridan. The scaffold is surrounded by a dense and cheering mob. On the right is the gate of the 'Crown & Anchor' tavern, and from two projecting lamp-brackets swing the bodies of Queen Charlotte and Pitt. The houses of the Strand recede in perspective and terminate in Temple Bar, with two heads on spikes; clouds of smoke appear to come from burning houses east of Temple Bar. On the clouds a meretricious Liberty sits enthroned and triumphant. The King's neck rests on a narrow block, his shaved head appears bald, his legs are held up by Horne Tooke, who stands on the left, saying: "O, such a day as this, so renown'd so victorious, Such a day as this was never seen Revolutionists so gay; - while Aristocrats notorious, Tremble at the universal glee." From Tooke's pocket projects a paper: 'Petition of Horne Tooke' (against the return of Fox and Hood for Westminster, see BMSat 7690). The King, who supports himself on his hands, says, "What! What! What! - what's the matter now". Fox, enormously stout, straddles behind the King, full face his axe raised in both hands; he wears a mask with large circular eye-holes and fox's ears; he says: "Zounds! what the devil is it that puts me into such a hell of a Funk? - damn it, it is but giving one good blow, & all is settled! - but what if I should miss my aim! - ah! it's the fear of that which makes me stink so! - & yet, damnation! what should I be afraid of? if I should not succeed, why nobody can find me out in this Mask, any more than the Man who chop'd the Calf's-head off, a Hundred & Forty Years ago - and so here goes!" Sheridan kneels in profile to the left holding the King by the ear and nose, he looks up at Fox with a sinister scowl, saying, "Hell & Damnation, dont be afraid give a home stroke, & then throw off the Mask - Zounds, I wish I had hold of the Hatchet." Priestley, behind Sheridan, leans towards the King, saying, "Don't be alarmed at your situation, my dear Brother; we must all dye once; and, therefore what does it signify whether we dye today or tomorrow - in fact, a Man ought to be glad of the opportunity of dying, if by that means he can serve his Country, in bringing about a glorious Revolution: - & as to your Soul, or any thing after death don't trouble yourself about that; depend on it, the Idea of a future state, is all an imposition: & as every thing here is vanity & vexation of spirit, you should therefore rejoice at the moment which will render you easy & quiet". He holds a paper: 'Priestley on a Future State'. Sir Cecil Wray stands with his right hand on Sheridan's shoulder, saying, "Here do give me a little room Joseph that I may be in readiness to catch the droppings of the Small Beer when it is tapp'd; I never can bear to see the Small Beer wasted Joseph!" He holds in his left hand a small cask, 'For Small Beer', and a large pipe; in his pocket is a paper: 'Plan of Chelsea Hospital by Sir Ceci[l] Wray'. The Queen is cruelly caricatured; she swings against Pitt, who is in a death agony with crisped fingers."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue. and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
S. W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Charlotte,--Queen, consort of George III, King of Great Britain,--1744-1818--Caricatures and cartoons., Fores, S. W., publisher. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n97860707, Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., George--III,--King of Great Britain,--1738-1820--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Priestley, Joseph,--1733-1804--Caricatures and cartoons., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Tooke, John Horne,--1736-1812--Caricatures and cartoons., and Wray, Cecil,--Sir,--1734-1805--Caricatures and cartoons.
"A burlesque of Fuseli's well-known picture illustrating 'Macbeth', i. 3. The three witches are Dundas, Pitt, and Thurlow, in profile to the right instead of to the left. Fuseli's drapery is replaced by clouds, and the three gaze with reflective and apprehensive intensity at the moon (right): the Queen's smiling profile in a brightly lit crescent faces them, enclosing the old moon, the darkened head of the King (eclipsed), with closed eyes in profile to the right. Each witch presses the fingers of his left hand (drawn with much expressiveness) to his lips (- 'each at once her choppy finger laying upon her skinny lips'); the outstretched left arm of Fuseli's picture is absent: they appear to be seeking knowledge of the future from the moon, not foretelling it."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Weird sisters, ministers of darkness, minions of the moon and Wierd sisters, ministers of darkness, minions of the moon
Description:
Dedication etched above image: To H. Fuzelli Esqr. this attempt in the caricatura-sublime, is respectfully dedicated., One line quotation below title: "They should be women! and yet their beards forbid us to interpret, that they are so.", Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain--Politics and government--1789-1820--Humor.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Charlotte,--Queen, consort of George III, King of Great Britain,--1744-1818--Caricatures and cartoons., Dundas, Henry,--1742-1811--Caricatures and cartoons., Fuseli, Henry, 1741-1825, associated name. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79021856, Fuseli, Henry,--1741-1825--Parodies, imitations, etc., George--III,--King of Great Britain,--1738-1820--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n97861435, Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Shakespeare, William,--1564-1616.--Macbeth--Adaptations, parodies, etc., Thurlow, Edward Thurlow,--Baron,--1731-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Walpole, Horace,--1717-1797--Ms. annotations., and Walpole, Horace,--1717-1797--Ownership.
Subject (Topic):
Eclipses., Moon., Politicians--Great Britain., Regency--Great Britain.--http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2010110433, Sun., and Witches.