The political and humourous works of Thomas Rowlandson, 1774-1825
Container / Volume:
Vol. 1 (Box 2 of 2) | Folder I-40
Image Count:
1
Resource Type:
Prints & Photographs
Abstract:
"On the right is 'The old Building', an inn of old-fashioned construction with a projecting upper story and attic, representing Great Britain or the Constitution. On the left is the king, apparently asleep, driving off to Hanover in a coach with a crown on its roof. Two men and a barefooted woman who holds up two naked infants kneel beside the coach in attitudes of despairing entreaty. In the upper left corner of the print, above the coach, an eye looks towards the 'Old House' labelled, 'Turn out those Robbers and repair the House'. The robbers in possession are members of the Coalition. The lowest story, stone-built and solid but sinking beneath the weight of the upper floors, is inscribed 'Public Credit', a large padlocked gate being inscribed 'Funds'. Outside it sits Fox, in the form of a fox, on a stone inscribed 'Protector'; he points towards the padlock. A chain attached to his waist is attached to a curving pillar, inscribed 'Coalition', which is the bending support of a balcony. Beside him, seated on a turnstile, is North saying, "Give me my Ease And do as you Please". On the other side of the gateway the crown stands on a block inscribed 'To be Sold'. The first floor is supported by two massive beams or props, one, 'The Lords', being intact (indicating the part taken by the Lords in rejecting the India Bill), the other, 'Prerogative of the Crown', is almost chopped through by one of two lawyers in a first-floor window inscribed 'ye two Lawyers'; he sits with one leg over the sill wielding an axe. Beside him projects from a beam the sign of the house, 'Magna Charta', a torn document with a pendant seal; the signboard is dropping down. He is Lee the Attorney-General, pilloried for his speech on the East India Company's Charter, see British Museum Satires No. 6364, &c. Next him is another lawyer, who shakes his clenched fist towards 'Magna Charta'. He is perhaps James Mansfield (1733-1821) who succeeded Lee as Solicitor-General (Nov. 19) on the death of Wallace. The first-floor balcony, an excrescence on the original structure supported by the pillar Coalition, extends round the corner of the house above Fox and North. It is filled with revellers: a harlequin leans over it, next him is Burke, who blows a long trumpet from which issue the words 'Sheridan Sheridan Sheridan dan Sheridan', pointing towards a group on his left which includes a man (Sheridan?) flourishing a bottle and dressed as a clown or zany (cf. British Museum Satires No. 7273), and two women, one of whom resembles the Duchess of Devonshire. Beside her a large flag projects from the balcony, 'Man of the People'; on it is a fox's brush. On the rails of the balcony is a placard 'Here's the Whore of Babylon the Devil and the Pope'. The wall behind is inscribed 'The old Building'. The projecting windowless attic or cornice is divided, in front of the house into partitions numbered from 1 to 10. Round the corner (right) the wall is inscribed 'The accursed 10 years American War fomented by opposition and misconducted by a timid Minister'. The roof is composed of stones or large irregular slates, on each of which is the word 'Tax', showing that the security of the house is endangered by the weight of taxes. On it sits a bird, probably a raven of ill omen."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
View of the old house in Little Britain and View of the old house in Little Brittain
Description:
CtY-LW, Letter "S" in "Strand" in imprint is etched backwards., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
W. Humphry, no. 227 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain--Politics and government--1760-1789.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Burke, Edmund,--1729-1797--Caricatures and cartoons., Cavendish, Georgiana Spencer,--Duchess of Devonshire,--1757-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., George--III,--King of Great Britain,--1738-1820--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, William, approximately 1740-approximately 1810, publisher., Lee, John,--1733-1793--Caricatures and cartoons., Mansfield, James,--Sir,--1733-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., North, Frederick,--Lord,--1732-1792--Caricatures and cartoons., Riviere & Son Binding., and Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons.
Subject (Topic):
Carriages & coaches--England--18th century., Clowns., Foxes. , and Taverns (Inns)
"Round a bare and decayed oak-tree is twined a serpent with the head of Fox; he has scaly arms with human hands and holds out a damaged apple inscribed 'Reform', saying, "nice Apple, Johnny! - nice Apple". John Bull (left) is a fat and squat yokel, wearing the Windsor uniform of blue coat with red collar and cuffs. The pockets of his coat and waistcoat bulge with round golden apples. His back is to Fox, towards whom he looks out of the corners of his eyes, saying: "Very nice N'apple indeed! - but my Pokes are all full of Pippins from off t'other Tree: & besides, I hates Medlars, they're so domn'd rotten! that I'se afraid they'll gie me the Guts-ach for all their vine looks!" Fox's scaly tail is coiled round the upper branches; its tip issues from a large cap of 'Liberté', decorated with tricolour cockade and ribbons, which is poised on a branch. The trunk of the tree is 'Opposition'; its roots are: 'Envy', 'Ambition', 'Disappointment'. The main branches are 'Rights of Man' (see BMSat 7867, &c.) and 'Profligacy'. Each rotten apple or medlar has an inscription: 'Democracy.', 'Treason.', 'Slavery.', 'Atheism.', 'Blasphemy.', 'Plunder.', 'Murder.', 'Whig Club', 'Impiety', 'Revolution', 'Conspiracy', 'Corresponding Society', 'Deism', 'Age of Reason' (Paine's deistic book). In the background (right) is an oak in full leaf: its trunk is 'Justice', the roots 'Commons', 'King', 'Lords', the branches 'Laws' and 'Religion'. From it hangs a crown surrounded by 'pippins', some inscribed 'Freedom', 'Happiness', 'Security'. (Cf. BMSat 8287, &c.)."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., and Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher.
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character)--Caricatures and cartoons.
"The triumphal procession (l. to r.) of a hideous negress symbolizing Quassia, a drug obtained from the Quassia tree, which is supposed to have supplanted hops in brewing. She sits astride a drayman's pole (as in BMSat 10580, &c), from which is suspended horizontally a cask inscribed 'True Quassia Free from Taxation'; the pole is supported on the shoulders of two brewers, Whitbread (r.), and Combe (l.). She holds up in one hand a branch of the noxious tree, with a (tricolour) scroll: 'Kill-Devil [rum] for ever', and in the other a frothing tankard inscribed 'Quos-sia'. This is irradiated, the rays being inscribed 'Apoplexy', 'Palsy', 'Consumption', 'Debility', 'Colic', 'Stupor', 'Dropsy', 'Scurvy', 'Dysentery', 'Hæmorrhoids', 'Hydrophobia', 'Idiotism'. A third brewer, the very corpulent George Barclay, follows on the extreme left., waving his hat. He holds up a (tricolour) standard: 'Pro bono Publico - Quassia for Ever, - No Hops! no Malt! Down with all the Private Breweries! - Kill-Devil and Quassia for Ever!' From his apron projects a book: 'Receipts to make a Cauliflour Head'. In front of the procession is a dray-horse, with dangling chains which show that the barrel has been detached from them; its head is cut off by the r. margin. On its back sits the bulky Grenville between Fox and Petty who clings to his waist. All are in court dress, and exultingly wave their cocked hats, which, like the hats of the brewers, are decorated with large tricolour favours inscribed 'Quassia for Ever'. On the horse is a pannier with a (tricolour) label: 'Grains from the Quassia Breweries for the New Piggery' [cf. BMSat 10540]; this, like the riders' pockets, is overflowing with guineas. From Petty's hat fall two bundles of papers: 'Tax upon Private Brewer[ies]' and 'Tax upon Maid-Servants'. Whitbread, who looks round at the spectator, has a favour in his hat larger than the others and having the additional inscription. 'No Private Breweries - Impeachment of Malt & Hops! No Scotch Barley', indicating his charges against Melville (see BMSat 10576, &c). On the groun lie broken hop-poles, with hop-vines still attached to them. Behind are conical stacks of hop-poles 'To be Sold for Fire-Wood'."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Combe, Harvey Christian,--1752-1818--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Gillray, James, 1756-1815, artist., Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville,--Baron,--1759-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Lansdowne, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice,--Marquess of,--1780-1863--Caricatures and cartoons., and Whitbread, Samuel,--1764-1815--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Fox stands in the House of Commons, making a speech; in his right hand he holds out a paper: 'Speech on the 'Rights of the P------'; in his left is an 'Explanation of that Speech'. He faces the table on which are piled large folios: 'Statutes at Large', 'Magna Charta', 'Principles of the Constitution', 'Rights of the People'. He says, "all these I'll devour next". Behind him on the ground are two open books: 'Jus Divinum of Kings' and 'Principles of Toryism &c.' The benches behind him are packed with intent listeners, some dismayed, some admiring. North, a bandage over his eyes, sits on the extreme right, next him is Burke. The end of the gallery (left) is visible; listeners hang over to watch Fox."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Attributed to Rowlandson in the British Museum catalogue., Five lines of text below title: Advertisment extraordinary. This is to inform the public ..., and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
S. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain--Politics and government--1760-1789.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Burke, Edmund,--1729-1797--Caricatures and cartoons., Fores, S. W., publisher., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Great Britain.--Parliament.--House of commons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., North, Frederick,--Lord,--1732-1792--Caricatures and cartoons., and Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827, artist.
"Fox stands on a dais at the head of a rough table, the seat from which he has risen is magnificent, above it is the inscription 'Vive la Libertè' surmounted by a bonnet-rouge. He is held up (left) by Combe, the Lord Mayor, a pompous figure in gown and chain, and (right) by Erskine. The former holds a 'Petition to ye Throne; - or a new way to Combe the Ministers Wig'; the latter grasps a bottle of 'Brand[y]'. Fox is melancholy, and his swollen legs cannot support unaided his vast bulk. Before him is a frothing pot of 'Whitbread's Entire' (cf. BMSat 8638). Only the guests on Fox's right and left are visible; they are Grey (or perhaps Byng), [Incorrectly identified in Wright and Evans as Sir J. Sinclair. Identifications of Grey by Lord Holland appear conclusive, but he is identified in 'London und Paris' as Byng, M.P. for Middlesex, and he resembles the Byng of BMSat 8782.] turning to watch his chief, and Tierney, looking gloomily before him. Behind Tierney are the heads of a butcher, with marrow-bone and cleaver, and a chimney-sweep with brush and shovel. All listen intently to Fox, who says: "Gentlemen, you see I'm grown quite an Old Man in your Service! Twenty Years I've served you, & always upon the same Principles; - I rejoic'd at the Success of our Enemies in the American War! - & the War against the Virtuous French Republic has always met with my most determined opposition! - but the Infamous Ministry will not make Peace with our Enemies, & are determin'd to keep Me out of their Councils & out of Place! - therefore Gentlemen! as their Principles are quite different from mine, & as I am now too Old to form myself according to their Systems, my attendance in Parliament is useless: - & to say the truth, I feel that my season of action is past, & I must leave to younger Men to Act, for alas! my failings & weaknesses will not let me now recognise what is for the best!""--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Last dying speech of the Westminster representative ...
Description:
Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Byng, George,--1764-1847--Caricatures and cartoons., Erskine, Thomas Erskine,--Baron,--1750-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Grey, Charles Grey,--Earl,--1764-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., and Tierney, George,--1761-1830--Caricatures and cartoons.
"The lion, with the face and wig of Melville, lies gazing up, blood falling on the papers under his paws: 'Plans for Manning tfthe Navy - List of ships built in 1804 ... of ye Line'; 'Abolition of Impress'. He is struck down by the blast from a blunderbuss whose muzzle is a tankard inscribed 'Whitbreads Entire'. This is fired by St. Vincent who crouches (left) behind a withered tree. The blast issues from a circle of froth inscribed 'Report'. Part of it, inscribed 'Condemnation without Trial', passes above the lion and strikes Britannia to the heart. She is leaning against an ancient but flourishing oak on the extreme right. The blast that strikes Melville is inscribed 'Invectives', 'Popular Clamour', 'Envy', 'Disappointed Jacobins', 'Malice'. On the upper part of the withered tree sits a monkey with the head of Wilberforce, holding up an open book: 'Solution of Vital Xianity', but directing at Melville a blast from his posteriors inscribed 'Cant! - Envy! - Abuse! - Hypocrisy! - Cruelty.' Three asses are kicking up their heels at Melville as they scamper off towards the mountainous background. The nearest has the head of Sidmouth, with ass's ears. He is laden with panniers inscribed 'Physick for the Lion.'; these are heaped with medicine-bottles, one labelled 'Emetic for ye Lion'; there are also a 'Clyster for the Lion', and a box of 'opening Pills' (cf. BMSat 9849), The other asses are Hily Addington and Bragge, cf. BMSat 9986. The latter (right) turns his head to say: "Very highly indebted to the Lion, brother Heeley!" His panniers are inscribed 'Provisions for the Doctors Family' and 'Trifles procured thro' the Lions Generosity'; they are piled high with papers: 'Pension to Brother Brag &...'; 'Annuity to all our Cousins'; '£40000 pr Ann'; 'Sinecure'; 'Pension for Aunts'; 'Pension for Brother Hely'; 'Pension'. The other ass (Hiley) answers: "Then give him another kick, Brother Braggey". He is laden with a sack of 'Candid Whorehound'. The lion is also assailed by a fox (Fox) who viciously bites his hindquarters, and by a serpent with the head of Grey (Whitbread's brother-in-law) who bites his neck. Three small rats, wearing legal wigs and bands (right), run viciously toward the lion; they are (left to right): Jekyll (see BMSat 9179), Erskine, and Robert Adair, an ardent Foxite, cf. BMSat 7158. A dog, its collar inscribed 'Kinard' (Kinnaird), bites the lion's tail, while one foot is in a plate containing a bare bone, and inscribed 'Melville-Castle' with a coronet."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Three lines of quoted text following title: "And now, all the sculking herd of the forest, some out of insolence, others in revenge ..." Vide, Aesop's fables., and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Erskine, James Francis,--1743-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Grey, Charles Grey,--Earl,--1764-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Kinnaird, Charles Kinnaird,--Baron,--1780-1826--Caricatures and cartoons., Melville, Henry Dundas,--Viscount,--1742-1811--Caricatures and cartoons., Sidmouth, Henry Addington,--Viscount,--1757-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., and Wilberforce, William,--1759-1833--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Napoleon is the London street-seller of gingerbread cakes whose wares and patter made him a long-remembered character. He stands in his bakery vigorously drawing out from the arched aperture of his oven a broad shovel (peel) on which are figures of three kings in royal robes holding orb and sceptre. They are 'Bavaria', 'Wirtembg (very fat), and 'Baden'. The keystone of the arch is inscribed 'New-French Oven for Imperial Gingerbread'. Napoleon, in profile to the right., wears a feathered cocked hat and a white apron over uniform with jack-boots. Behind him is a heap of cannon-balls, with a shovel inscribed 'Fuel'. Under the oven is a second and larger arched opening: 'Ash-hole for broken Gingerbread'. Broken and discarded cakes have been swept into it by a broom: 'Corsican Besom of Destruction', which lies on the ground against a (gingerbread) galleon flying the flag of 'Venice', a crowned skull inscribed 'Spain', a boot inscribed 'Italy', a Papal tiara, a staff and cap of 'Liberty', a figure, face downwards, showing heavy posteriors in bulky breeches inscribed 'Holland'; two fragments, 'Switzerland' and 'Netherlands'; a Habsburg eagle, inscribed 'Austria', the crowns falling from both heads; a tricolour flag, inscribed 'vive le Republique Francois' from whose shaft falls a bonnet rouge. There are also sceptres, a rosary, a coroneted skull, a fleur-de-lis. In the foreground (l.) is a round double-handled basket, from which protrude the heads of men and women puppets wearing crowns or coronets and holding sceptres. It is labelled: 'True Corsican Kinglings for Home Consumption & Exportation'. Beside it lies a cornucopia in the form of a fool's cap edged with bells and inscribed 'Hot Spiced Gingerbread! all hot - come who dips in my luckey bag'. From it pour crowns, coronets, orders, stars, sceptres, a cardinal's hat, three documents with pendent seals inscribed respectively 'Principality', 'Pension', 'Dukedom'. On the extreme right. is a solid chest with three drawers inscribed respectively 'Kings & Queens', 'Crowns & Sceptres', 'Suns & Moons'. On it stand unbaked figures crowded together: 'Little Dough Viceroys, intended for the next new Batch!' In the front row: Sheridan, Fox, Moira, Derby. Behind are Burdett [This is confirmed by Lord Holland. Stanhope, according to Wright and Evans.] and (?) Tierney. All wear coronets and hold sceptres. Behind (l.), Talleyrand, with his back to his master, bends over a large 'Political Kneading Trough' handling heaps of a yeasty mass inscribed 'Hungary', 'Poland', 'Turkey'; in the r. corner of the trough is a portion inscribed 'Hanover', which is being devoured by a crowned eagle with a collar inscribed 'Prussia'. Talleyrand wears a mitre over a tricolour cap and a bag-wig; a stole and robes looped up to show a bandy leg and a surgical shoe (incorrectly on the left foot) In his mouth is a pen; a rosary and an ink-pot hang from his waist."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Burdett, Francis,--1770-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., Derby, Edward Smith Stanley,--Earl of,--1752-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Hastings, Francis Rawdon-Hastings,--Marquess of,--1754-1826--Caricatures and cartoons., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de,--prince de Bénévent,--1754-1838--Caricatures and cartoons., and Tierney, George,--1761-1830--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Another version, reversed, of BMSat 8132. Paine (right) lies as before, but his legs and feet, which were hidden by straw and by cloud, project from under his coat, and the crisping of his toes indicates agitation caused by his dream. The three headless judges (left) with dependent scrolls are as before, with the addition of a cloud-shaped scroll ascending from the central wig, inscribed: 'Know Villain, when such paltry slaves presume To mix in Treason, if the Plot succeeds They're thrown neglected by - but if it fails Theyre sure to die like dogs! as you shall do.' In place of the prison wall is a glory of rays issuing from a sun in the centre of which are the scales of Justice. This is surmounted by shackles and by a scroll inscribed "The Scourge inexorable, and the tort'ring hour, awaits thee". Beneath are, as before, a gibbet (with the addition of a ladder) and a pillory. Between them are a scourge and birch-rod tied together. The inscriptions on the three scrolls are as before except that in 'Charges' 'Falshoods' takes the place of 'Lies', and to 'Punishments' is added 'Extinction from Society'. The inscriptions on Paine's book, &c, are as before except that the alternative title of 'Common Sense is or convincing Reasons for Britons turning Sans Culottes.' The fleurs-de-lis on the tattered curtain are larger and more conspicuous. Above the bed, in place of the crumbling wall, is an open casement window out of which flies a terrified demon with his tail between his legs; he holds a fiddle, but drops his bow and a sheet of music inscribed 'Ca-ira'. Through the window appear clouds and a full moon."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Reversed version, with some different and some additional elements in the image, of a print with the same title published in November 1792. Cf. No. 8132 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 6. and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Paine, Thomas,--1737-1809--Caricatures and cartoons., and Priestley, Joseph,--1733-1804--Caricatures and cartoons.
The political and humourous works of Thomas Rowlandson, 1774-1825
Container / Volume:
Vol. 1 (Box 1 of 2) | Folder I-24
Image Count:
1
Resource Type:
Prints & Photographs
Abstract:
A series of ten images showing the rise and fall of the Fox-North Coalition. In the first image, Charles Fox, shown as a fox, speaks to the crowd in front of the Covent Garden Church. In the second one, Lord North, the 'country gentleman' leading sheep on strings, makes an agreement with Fox, who leads the 'Wes[tminste]r geese' on strings. The third image shows Fox speaking to a crowd in a rotunda, while in the fourth one he is stoking a fire around a pole topped with the liberty cap and the India charter suspended from it. In the fifth image, North and Fox, sharing one coat, stand on a plinth signed, "Power." The sixth image shows Fox ascending in an air balloon while the next one shows him falling head-down into a "pitt." In the eighth image, the two politicians are being rejected by the figure of Britannia, who refuses to look at them, instead pointing to the gallows in the background. This condemnation results in their execution, together with Burke, in the ninth image. In the tenth image, all three are shown as well-known mythological sinners in Hades; Burke submerged up to his neck as Tantalus, Fox stretched on a wheel as Iion, and North as Sisyphus pushing a large boulder.
Alternative Title:
Two new sliders for the state magic lantern
Description:
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue. and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
W. Humphry, 227 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain--Politics and government--1760-1789.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Burke, Edmund,--1729-1797--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, William, approximately 1740-approximately 1810, publisher., North, Frederick,--Lord,--1732-1792--Caricatures and cartoons., and Riviere & Son Binding.
Subject (Topic):
Balloons (Aircraft)--1780-1800., Britannia (Symbolic character), Foxes. , Gallows., Hell., and Public speaking.