"The comet has the profile head of Napoleon wearng a plumed bicorne; it rushes up from the left. towards the sun, the profile head of George III, much irradiated. John Bull, a carbuncled 'cit', stoops low to look through a telescope on a tripod pointing towards the comet. Napoleon looks up at the King, who gazes fixedly above his head. He has ascended from a small piece of land rising from the narrow Channel separating it from John's wider fragment. Up this a frog clambers. On the open sea ships are strung out along the horizon. John says: "Aye - Aye - Master Comet - you may attempt your Periheliums - or your Devil heliums for what I care but take the word of an Old Man you'll never reach the Sun depend upon it"."--British Museum online catalogue, description of variant state
Alternative Title:
John Bull making observations on the comet
Description:
Title from item., Plate numbered '274' in upper right corner., and Variant state. Cf. no. 10769, Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 8 for description of the plate with different series number.
Publisher:
Printed for Thos. Tegg, 111 Cheapside
Subject (Name):
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 and George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character), Coastlines, Comets, Ships, Sun, and Telescopes