An old woman, the prude, is standing near a crowd of people huddled around a bonfire in Covent Garden. She is crossing Covent Garden Piazza, disapproving of the amorous scenes outside the notorious Tom King's Coffee House. The print shows the morning and is part of a series representing the progress of the day
Description:
Title engraved below image., Signed bottom left hand corner: Designed by Wm. Hogarth. Signed bottom right hand corner: Engraved by T. Cook., After Hogarth. Cf. Paulson, R. Hogarth's graphic works (3rd ed.), no. 146., Plate also issued in a collection entitled Hogarth restored, first published by G.G. & J. Robinson in 1802., Cf. Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 3, no. 2357., and Watermark: 1794 J. Whatman.
Publisher:
Published August the 1st, 1797, by G.G. & J. Robinson, Pater-noster Row, London
Subject (Geographic):
Covent Garden (London, England)
Subject (Topic):
Beggars, Children, City & town life, Couples, Crowds, Fighting, Food vendors, Kissing, Prostitutes, Quacks, Servants, Signs (Notices), Taverns (Inns), and Women
A "line and dot" series of caricatures featuring scenes with stick figures (or "pin men"), both male and female, engaged in some form of public violence, arranged in two rows, each grouping individually titled. In the first row the designs are titled: "You lie, sir!", "Proceeding to blows", "Friends ending the dispute" and then a larger group of figures with the title "Dispute at cards: ending in a round game". In the second row: "In love I perceive", "Prick'd to the heart. She's gone, she's gone!", "Met to part no more", "O! Thou false wretch", "O, Sophia fairest of women", "How you teaze me Charles" and "I'll seek revenge", and a pair of designs labeled above "The effects of jealousy" and on the left "Now for the fatal blow" and "Keep your distance fellow."
Alternative Title:
Milk Street in an uproar
Description:
Title from text in upper left., Unidentified artist., Date conjectured from that of the published print of the same design., Similar to a print, published by G. Blackman in 1817, and attributed to George Cruikshank in the British Museum catalogue. Cf. Nos. 12955 and 12956 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 9., and The genre was perhaps originated by G.M. Woodward who designed two plates of acrobatic feats, &c., entitled 'Multum in Parvo, or Lilliputian Sketches shewing what may be done by lines and dots'. See Curator's note to British Museum online catalogue, Registration number: 1935,0522.10.220.b