Design in two compartments contrasting on the left the poverty and depravity of "French Liberty" with the opulence of the British on the right "British Slavery." The thin, ragged sansculotte with a liberty cap on his head, warms his bare, talon-like feet before a fire, while eating his dinner of raw onions. Behind him snails overflow his chamber pot; above the fireplace a "Map of French Conquests". At his feet a sword lies across a violin like a bow. He extolls the virtues of the National Assembly and new won liberties. In contrast on the right, an obese, red-faced Englishman sits in a luxurious room before a table laden with a tankard of hock and a large joint of beef. His shoes are slashed to relieve his bloated, gouty feet. A gold statute of Britannia adorns the wall above him. He curses his ministry for imposing taxes and starving the British people
Alternative Title:
British slavery
Description:
Title etched below image., Two images on one plate., 1 print : etching on wove paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 25.2 x 35.5 cm, on sheet 27.7 x 39.7 cm., and Mounted on leaf 21 of volume 3 of 12.
Publisher:
Pubd. December 21st, 1792, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
France, France., and Great Britain.
Subject (Topic):
History, Taxation, Britannia (Symbolic character), Liberty, Poverty, Rugs, Taxes, and Wealth
"A tun of 'Wine' lies on solid trestles inscribed 'Treasury Bench'. From its huge bung-hole emerges the naked body of Pitt, as Bacchus, crowned with vine branches. He leans back tipsily, a brimming glass in each hand. Behind him stands Dundas as Silenus, fat, and partly draped in tartan; his right hand grasps Pitt's shoulder, in his left he holds up a brimming glass. He also is crowned with vine branches. Bunches of grapes hang down from a vine above their heads and are indicated as a background to the cask whose trestles are on a dais covered with a fringed carpet. Opposite the tun stands John Bull in profile to the left, looking up at Pitt, hat in hand; in his left hand is a lank purse, under his arm three empty bottles. He is a yokel, with lank hair and hydrocephalic head, wearing a smock and wrinkled gaiters. He says: "Pray Mr Bacchus have a bit of consideration for old John; - you know as how I've emptied my Purse already for you - & its waundedly hard to raise the price of a drop of Comfort, now that one's got no Money left for to pay for it!!!" Pitt says: "Twenty Pounds a T-Tun, ad-additional Duty i-i-if you d-d-don't like it at that, why t-t-t-then Dad & I will keep it all for o-o-our own Drinking, so here g-g-goes old Bu-Bu-Bull & Mouth!!! - "."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Triumph of Bacchus & Silenus and Triumph of Bacchus and Silenus
Description:
Title etched below image., Temporary local subject terms: Wine duty, 1796 -- Mythology: Bacchus -- Silenus -- Containers: wine casks -- Allusion to Treasury., 1 print : etching on wove paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 35.1 x 24.8 cm, on sheet 39.0 x 28.2 cm., and Mounted on leaf 7 of volume 4 of 12.
Publisher:
Pubd. April 20th, 1796, by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811, and Dionysus (Greek deity)
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character), Taxes, Wine, Grapes, Barrels, and Purses
