At the center of the sheet stands John Bull, hands clasped in prayer, as Sheridan and Fox force the bread of liberty into his wide open mouth as they pick his pocket. On either side of the three stands a gallows and the Temple Bar. In each of the four corners in similar scenes, labelled clockwise from upper left, Holland, Savoy, German & Prussia, red-capped French sansculottes try to force the bread of liberty down recognizable national stereotypes from these four nations as they loot the terrfied citizens
Alternative Title:
Sansculottes feeding Europe with the bread of liberty
Description:
Title from text in image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., and Sheet trimmed to plate mark on bottom edge.
Publisher:
Pubd. Jany. 12st [sic], 1793, by H. Humphrey, N. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
France
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806 and Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character), Girondists, Sansculottes, Liberty, Liberty cap, Popes, History, and Foreign relations
"John Bull, a fat 'cit', is seated beside a writing-table (right) holding up a large book. On the left hand page is inscribed 'Vote of Thanks respecting the Expedition to Copenhagen'; John's pen rests on the last word, but he turns in horror to gaze at the ghosts of (left to right) Fox, Pitt, and Burke. These wear shrouds and stand on clouds; all point a menacing forefinger. Fox says: "Erase those lines from your Journal"; Pitt and Burke say "Erase". Burke wears spectacles and a Jesuit's biretta (cf. British Museum Satires No. 6026), and holds a large book inscribed 'Sublime & Beautiful' [cf., e.g., British Museum Satires No. 6361]. John wears glasses, his hair rises on his head, pushing up his ill-fitting wig. He says: "Why dont you come then and transact the business yourselves? - it is impossible I can please every body. - it is come to such a pitch now that I have no peace either with the living or the dead!!!""--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Spectres visiting John Bull
Description:
Title etched below image., Attributed to Charles Williams in the British Museum catalogue., and Sheet trimmed to plate mark leaving thread margins.
Publisher:
Pubd. Feby. 23, 1808, by Walker, No. 7 Cornhill
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and Denmark.
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, and Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797
Subject (Topic):
Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815, Foreign relations, John Bull (Symbolic character), Ghosts, and Writing materials