A sparse interior where (G) Mary Toft lies on a curtained bed apparently in the throes of labour. She is attended by (E) her husband Joshua Toft and (F) his sister Margaret, acting as nurse. (D) Dr John Howard is receiving a dead rabbit from a butcher at the door. There are three other men in the room: (A) Nathaniel St André, (C) John Maubray or Cyriacus Ahlers, and (B) a third (Sir John Manningham or Samuel Molyneux) whose arm is thrust beneath Mary's skirts. Rabbits scamper across the floor; others lie dead; to the right is a chamber pot."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Wise men of Godliman in consultation
Description:
Title engraved below image., State, date, and place of publication from Paulson., According to Hogarth's early biographer John Nichols, the print was commissioned by a group of rival surgeons paying a guinea each., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., On page 42 in volume 1. Sheet trimmed to: 18.3 x 24.9 cm., and Ms. note in Steevens's hand in pencil, above this print: Modern impression.
Publisher:
Wm. Hogarth
Subject (Name):
Toft, Mary, 1703-1763, Toft, Joshua, fl. 1720-1726, Manningham, Richard, Sir, 1690-1759, St. André, Nathanael, 1680-1776, and Howard, John, fl. 1690-1720
Subject (Topic):
Births, Butchers, Chamber pots, Canopy beds, Interiors, Physicians, and Rabbits
A sparse interior where (G) Mary Toft lies on a curtained bed apparently in the throes of labour. She is attended by (E) her husband Joshua Toft and (F) his sister Margaret, acting as nurse. (D) Dr John Howard is receiving a dead rabbit from a butcher at the door. There are three other men in the room: (A) Nathaniel St André, (C) John Maubray or Cyriacus Ahlers, and (B) a third (Sir John Manningham or Samuel Molyneux) whose arm is thrust beneath Mary's skirts. Rabbits scamper across the floor; others lie dead; to the right is a chamber pot."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Wise men of Godliman in consultation
Description:
Title engraved below image., State, date, and place of publication from Paulson., According to Hogarth's early biographer John Nichols, the print was commissioned by a group of rival surgeons paying a guinea each., and Sheet trimmed within plate mark.
Publisher:
Wm. Hogarth
Subject (Name):
Toft, Mary, 1703-1763, Toft, Joshua, fl. 1720-1726, Manningham, Richard, Sir, 1690-1759, St. André, Nathanael, 1680-1776, and Howard, John, fl. 1690-1720
Subject (Topic):
Births, Butchers, Chamber pots, Canopy beds, Interiors, Physicians, and Rabbits
A sparse interior where (G) Mary Toft lies on a curtained bed apparently in the throes of labour. She is attended by (E) her husband Joshua Toft and (F) his sister Margaret, acting as nurse. (D) Dr John Howard is receiving a dead rabbit from a butcher at the door. There are three other men in the room: (A) Nathaniel St André, (C) John Maubray or Cyriacus Ahlers, and (B) a third (Sir John Manningham or Samuel Molyneux) whose arm is thrust beneath Mary's skirts. Rabbits scamper across the floor; others lie dead; to the right is a chamber pot."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Wise men of Godliman in consultation
Description:
Title engraved below image., State, date, and place of publication from Paulson., According to Hogarth's early biographer John Nichols, the print was commissioned by a group of rival surgeons paying a guinea each., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Mounted to: 26 x 38 cm.
Publisher:
Wm. Hogarth
Subject (Name):
Toft, Mary, 1703-1763, Toft, Joshua, fl. 1720-1726, Manningham, Richard, Sir, 1690-1759, St. André, Nathanael, 1680-1776, and Howard, John, fl. 1690-1720
Subject (Topic):
Births, Butchers, Chamber pots, Canopy beds, Interiors, Physicians, and Rabbits
A sparse interior where (G) Mary Toft lies on a curtained bed apparently in the throes of labour. She is attended by (E) her husband Joshua Toft and (F) his sister Margaret, acting as nurse. (D) Dr John Howard is receiving a dead rabbit from a butcher at the door. There are three other men in the room: (A) Nathaniel St André, (C) John Maubray or Cyriacus Ahlers, and (B) a third (Sir John Manningham or Samuel Molyneux) whose arm is thrust beneath Mary's skirts. Rabbits scamper across the floor; others lie dead; to the right is a chamber pot."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Wise men of Godliman in consultation
Description:
Title engraved below image., State, date, and place of publication from Paulson., According to Hogarth's early biographer John Nichols, the print was commissioned by a group of rival surgeons paying a guinea each., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., On page 42 in volume 1., and Ms. note in Steevens's hand in pencil, above this print and copy next to it: See Nichol's, Book 3rd edit, pp. 23.146.461. Old Impression; below: Given me by Revd. C.M. Crackerode.
Publisher:
Wm. Hogarth
Subject (Name):
Toft, Mary, 1703-1763, Toft, Joshua, fl. 1720-1726, Manningham, Richard, Sir, 1690-1759, St. André, Nathanael, 1680-1776, and Howard, John, fl. 1690-1720
Subject (Topic):
Births, Butchers, Chamber pots, Canopy beds, Interiors, Physicians, and Rabbits
Print with twelve panels relating to the affair of Mary Toft, "the rabbit breeder": from top left, she is held aloft by two men and a Harlequin or Merry Andrew, she has a rabbit in either hand; she pursues a rabbit while working in a field; she dreams of being impregnated by rabbit, Cupid is shown on a cloud beside her bed holding a rabbit in either hand; she is seated in a chair attended by two women while the two men and Harlequin discuss the monstrous birth; Harlequin demonstrates that he can express milk from her breast; Harlequin feels "the rabbets leapin in her belly" while two men look on; she sits on the edge of a bed and Harlequin kneels to seize a rabbit that emerges from her skirts while a doctor raises his hands in surprise, wishing to anatomize the animal; Harlequin stands behind a table holding a balance in which he weighs dung removed from the rabbit explaining to two men that this will allow him to judge whether the animal had "breath'd in air"; doctors and midwives discuss the phenomenon around a table and Harlequin enters claiming that the birth must be "praeternatural"; a crowd of gentlemen are welcomed to the bagnio in Leicester Square where Toft is housed; two men spy from the door to Toft's room as another hands her a dead rabbit; Toft, weeping, is led away to Bridewell by two constables while Harlequin "sits upon Repenting stool, Cursing his fate in being made a Fool. See British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
New whim wham from Guildford
Description:
Title etched above images. and Trimmed within plate mark.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Name):
Toft, Mary, 1703-1763
Subject (Topic):
Christianity, Superstition, Demonology, Births, Brothels, Cupids, Fools & jesters, Fraud, Law enforcement, Physicians, Pregnant women, and Rabbits