On the right, William Petty, Lord Shelburne, attacks Britannia pulling on her hair and petticoat while pushing her to the ground. She leans on her shield; her broken spear lies next to it. William Pitt, who stands behind her with his arms folded on his chest, looks down at her indifferently. On the left, Charles Fox, taking Lord North's hand in his, points to the distressed Britannia with an entreaty to join their forces in her defense and "Fox and North stand together in consultation (left). Fox, holding the right hand of North who stands on his right, points with his left hand towards Britannia (right), who has been thrown to the ground, and is being maltreated by Shelburne. Her shield and broken spear lie beside her. Shelburne has seized her by the hair and is tearing off her upper garments; he smiles saying, "I smile at the feeble efforts of them single". Britannia looking towards Fox and North cries, "Help! tis only your united strength can save me". Pitt, young and slim, stands beside Britannia, his arms folded, looking down at her and saying "I see her danger, yet, better she should perish than I join the Man I hate". Fox is saying to North, "Forgetting our former disputes Quick! let us join to save her". In the foreground lies a large scroll, inscribed, "BRITANIA rescue'd from the wicked designs of an artfull------", the last word hidden by a curl of the scroll."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Men of abilities call'd for and Men of abilities called for
Description:
Title from item. and Mounted to 29 x 37 cm.
Publisher:
Publish'd May 20th, 1783, by I. Freeman, Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, and Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805
Subject (Topic):
Britannia (Symbolic character), Politics and government, and Clothing & dress