"The comet has the profile head of Napoleon wearing 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 an earlier state.
Alternative Title:
John Bull making observations on the comet
Description:
"Price one shilling coloured.", Also issued separately., Date of publication based on complete imprint on earlier state: London, Printed for Thos. Tegg, 111 Cheapside, 10th Novr. 1807. Cf. No. 10769 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 8., Later state; former plate number "29" has been replaced with a new number, and date has been removed from end of imprint statement., Plate from: Woodward, G.M. Caricature magazine, or Hudibrastic mirror. London : Thomas Tegg, [1808?], v. 4., Plate numbered "274" in upper right corner., and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., George--III,--King of Great Britain,--1738-1820--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Johnstone, Henry Arthur--Ownership., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., Tegg, Thomas, 1776-1845, publisher., and Woodward, G. M. (George Moutard), approximately 1760-1809, artist.
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character)--Caricatures and cartoons.
"John Bull, a hideously carbuncled 'cit', looks down grinning at a semicircle of men on a much smaller scale who surround his half-length figure. They are (left to right) Napoleon, wearing a huge bicorne, who looks up to say 'Ships. Colonies and Commerce'. A man in military uniform, quite unlike Alexander, his back to Napoleon, says: "Russian Vengeance attend John Bull. A fat Dutch burgher puffs smoke towards John, saying, III eternally smoke him". A scowling man in civilian dress with tousled hair says: "Let him tremble at the name of America". Prussia, a handsome military officer in place of the damaged soldier who after Tilsit represented Frederick William III in English caricature, says: "Beware of Prussia". A similar officer (Francis I) says: "Austria will never Pardon him". A Spaniard wearing a cocked hat says: "Spanish Fury overtake him". A scowling face says: "Let him beware of Denmark". John says: "Dont make such a riot you little noisy Brats, all your bustle to me is no more than a storm in a Chamber pot"."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Also issued separately., Date of publication from British Museum catalogue and Grego., Plate from: Woodward, G.M. Caricature magazine, or Hudibrastic mirror. London : Thomas Tegg, [1808?], v. 2., Plate numbered "131" in upper right corner., Probably a later state; first half of imprint appears to have been burnished from plate., Temporary local subject terms: Prussia -- America., and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Johnstone, Henry Arthur--Ownership., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., Tegg, Thomas, 1776-1845, publisher., and Woodward, G. M. (George Moutard), approximately 1760-1809, artist.
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character)--Caricatures and cartoons.