Three eighteenth-century scenes of English taverns, sketched by the Dutch artist Paul Duverger, presumably during a visit to England. The same character appears in two of the sketches, and is perhaps a depiction of a friend or fellow traveller, or Duverger himself. He is sketched in the only drawing to depict a single character, which shows a man contentedly sitting cross-legged and eating at a candlelit circular table. The man appears to carve himself a slice from a piece of meat on his plate; an empty bowl and glass stand beside a tall candlestick and holder, which itself stands on top of a piece of paper with the day’s menu. The other image depicting the same man includes another man, the two sitting on either side of a young woman, attentively competing for her affections; a pipe, candlesnuffer, knife and candlestick stand on the table in addition to a tankard, hastily sketched and unfinished. The final scene is of three men in tricorn hats and frock coats, sitting stiffly at a round table. One holds a staff and is without a drink; another, slightly more comfortably, holds a large tankard and looks questioningly towards his straight-backed companion. The third man sits almost sheepishly nursing a drink which sits on the table next to a candlestick
Description:
Title devised by cataloger., Attributed to "the Dutch artist Paul Duverger, a pupil of Parisian engraver Jacques-Philippe le Bas, 1707-1783"., and Approximate date suggested by dress.
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Topic):
Social life and customs, Taverns (Inns), and Eating & drinking
A confrontation in a bedchamber between a black woman in a nightgown in bed and four men who surround her canopy bed. One man holds a candle. The woman is slapping the one man to her right on the cheek while another pulls him away. A fourth man is pointing towards her shoulder
Description:
Title from ms. note. Date from curator., Ms. note in pencil in Steevens's hand above sheet: Gin-Drinkers. Spurious., Ms. note in pencil in Steevens's hand below sheet: See Mr. Nichols's book, 3d. edit. p. 429., and On page 154 in volume 2.
