“Satire on servants; a scene in a pantry with a liveried servant retreating in horror from a stout woman, probably a cook; he holds his hand to his face which sports two black eyes and she, scowling in fury, extends her right fist.”–British Museum online catalogue.
795.11.00.01+
Acquired May 2017
“The King of Spain sits on a circular dais under a canopy, turning his head away from the English ambassador (left), a stout John Bull wearing top-boots behind whom stand four pugilists. Three Spaniards with pikes stand on the extreme right behind the throne, and three courtiers stand in the background. The King wears a short tunic and ruff with a feathered hat; all the Spaniards have long upturned moustaches, all look dismayed. Three of the pugilists are inscribed: ‘Big Ben’ [Benjamin Brain], ‘Humphries’, and ‘Mendoza’; the fourth is Ward. Beneath the design is etched: ‘Great Sir, I am arrived from Albion’s Court, Who have taken in Dudgeon what you may think Sport; So it may for the present; but we’ll soon make it appear, You’ll have reason to laugh the wrong side of your ear! Our Traders in Nootka, by some of your Curs, Were all sent to Quod and robb’d of their Furs, Your right so to do which you claim from the Pope, We Britons dont value the end of a rope! It’s a farce you may make your weak Subjects believe, But our right’s equal to yours from Adam and Eve. Therefore if you don’t make us immediate amends, No longer can we look upon you as Friends, Should you wish for a War we have got a new race, Of such brave fighting fellows, not the Devil dare face! A sample I’ve brought, only four of our men, Mendoza, Dick Humphries, Joe Ward, and Big Ben: So great is their power each Lad with one blow, Would knock down an Ox, or twelve Spaniards lay low, At home we can raise twelve hundred like these, That would crush all your Troops as easy as fleas. For Centuries past England’s rul’d o’er the main, And if it please Heavn’n hope to do so again. Thus with Sailors and Bruisers we your power defy, Being determin’d to conquer or fight till we die!'”–British Museum online catalogue.
790.05.12.01+
Acquired May 2017
A large black woman, smiling in her sleep, lies in a bed surrounded by bedcurtains. She wears a cap and earrings, and her large breasts hang out over her nightclothes. A thin old, white man also in nightclothes and a night cap ogles her by the candlelight from the candlestick he holds in his right hand.
796.07.08.01+
Acquired May 2017
“Four men stand on the sea-shore, in back view but looking to the right: the King of Prussia stands between Holland (left) and Pitt (right); he holds Holland by the ear and kicks Pitt behind, saying, “This is the balance of Europe”. Pitt, who is blindfolded, says, “yes I’ll maintain it”; he holds out in each hand a naming fire-brand to two towns on the right, ‘Cronstadt’ and ‘Rerel’ [sic]. The whole district is in flames, and there are four other burning cities (one ‘Riga’); the flames and smoke from all six merge and are inscribed ‘Russia’, ‘Poland’, ‘Germany’, ‘Austria’. The sea which stretches between Pitt and the burning cities is the ‘Baltic’. On it is a boat containing four men: the helmsman says, “I would rather be a Baltic trader”; the two oarsmen say, “Do not mind it, it will bring other wars” and “No prize money”; a man looking through a telescope says, “No Galeons – Storms, Sholas & Rocks.” A man standing on the shore shouts to the boat “nothing good to be got by it.” Frederick William, who wears crown, military uniform, and jack-boots, conceals behind him, half thrust into his coat-pocket, a paper: ‘Danzic & Thorn’. Holland, a fat burgher, is smoking; he says “What a blessed Alliance”. In his right hand is a paper: ‘pyg–t O I hope all dis vill end in a Smoke.’ The fourth man, who stands on the extreme left, is a British citizen who scowls as he reads a newspaper inscribed ‘The Trade of the Baltic Lost – New Taxes Malt – Porter’. Across the sky stretches a large scroll inscribed ‘The Cause of the War’; from it is suspended a tiny medallion: ‘Ocsakow’.”–British Museum online catalogue.
791.04.00.01+
Acquired May 2017
An old man sits outdoors in an upholstered chair, looking through a telescope which is pointed up left to a black woman standing on a cliff with her dress pulled up and her large derrière bared. A dog sits by the man’s chair with a similar look on its face as it too looks up at the woman.
797.05.08.02+
Acquired May 2017
A pot lid with a transfer print showing the figure of Justice in the center with outstretched arms holding laurel wreaths over two lists on either side naming the members of the House of Lords who voted for her acquittal.
66 820 H759
Acquired May 2017
“Dr. James Graham, the famous quack, stands on a small platform or pedestal, addressing an audience of both sexes who sit and stand in front of him. He stands rather to the right of the design looking left, his right hand raised, his left holding a rolled paper as in British Museum Satire no. 6324. He wears a bag-wig and ruffled shirt. Those of the audience whose faces are visible are probably portraits, but only Fox, Wilkes, and (?) Perdita Robinson can be identified. Three persons sit on a raised seat immediately under the lecturer and with their backs towards him: a young man puts his arm round a lady who draws back with a coy expression; the third is Fox who sits gloomily impassive, his head supported on his hand, perhaps annoyed at the way in which Mrs. Robinson looks towards the man standing next her, who stands on the extreme right in profile to the left. He is slim and wears the fashionable riding-dress but is very ugly. Two rows of people sit on forms facing the lecturer. Others stand on the left. Wilkes is in profile to the right, an elderly beau with receding hair, sunken eyes, and broken teeth.”–British Museum online catalogue.
783.02.12.01+
Acquired May 2017
In a large room French aristocrats crowd across a table from Pitt who is taking money while handing a pen to the man opposite who holds a crown in his left arm as he throws coins toward Pitt’s grasping hand. Above Pitt stands George III behind podium, gavel in one hand and another crown extended toward one of the many bidders shouting comments and prices. The King calls out, “This is a lot, gentlemen, of superior brilliancy to the last. This, this raises you above your fellows in a very high degree indeed. I pity your distresses from my soul, what, what, what was that you were saying about jewels, Madames, too high. You may ride over the necks of half the nation with this upon your coach. You may get in debt as fast as you please and never pay. Mind that gentlemen, never pay.” The Queen walks up a ladder behind the King to retrieve more crowns from the shelves behind the King’s podium, turning her head to say, “Pay some attention to that Lady’s jewels, my love.”
790.07.08.01+
Acquired May 2017
Three mad persons look out the small windows of their cells. The man on the left wears a makeshift crown and grins out at the horrified couple who looks in. Above his cell is written “You lie, you mad dog, I am as hones a woman as any Parson’s wife in London!” And futher below, “You are a cuckold.” The two men on the right look at the two scowling women in their cells in horror.
794.08.07.01+
Acquired May 2017
“A sequel to British Museum Satires no. 6438. George III, seated on a balloon, points downwards with his sceptre to an image of Pitt (right) as a naked child, on a column which is inscribed ‘Family Presumption’. The king looks down at North, Fox, and Burke, saying, “I command you O Shadrach Mesech & Abednego!” The three stand (left) in attitudes expressing intense self-righteousness; they say: “Know O King we will not worship ye Golden Image”; on each head rests a tongue of flame. They stand outside a dilapidated building on the extreme left inscribed ‘St Stephens’, shored up by a beam, whose base is at their feet, inscribed ‘Resolutions Unrescinded’. From its coping-stone flies an ensign flag inscribed ‘Firm S.P.Q.B.’ The king’s balloon is inscribed ‘Prerogative’; its lower axis emits a blast inscribed ‘Gracious Answer’. Behind the balloon and Pitt are clouds inscribed ‘Breath of Popularity’. Pitt stands sucking his finger (cf. British Museum Satires no. 6417); on his head is a sugar-loaf surmounted by a flag inscribed ‘Feby 28′, an emblem of the Grocers’ Company which had entertained him on that day, see British Museum Satires no. 6442. Kneeling figures do obeisance before the image of Pitt, those in the foreground representing the least reputable trades: a lamplighter (left), with his ladder and oil-can, kneels in profile to the right; a butcher prostrates himself; a chimney-sweep kneels with clasped hands; a ragged scavenger, his shovel and basket beside him, kneels in profile to the left, the basket stands on a paper inscribed ‘[Worshipfu]ll Company of Scavenger[s]’. In the foreground lie papers inscribed ‘Garret Address’ (an allusion to the mock elections of Garratt), ‘Address’, and ‘The worshipfull Company of Chimney Sweepers’. A crowd of kneeling figures (left) is worshipping the idol; they hold standards, three of which are inscribed ‘Bristol’, ‘Westminster’, and ‘London’, representing the addresses to the king which had been compared by Fox to those made to Charles II, see British Museum Satires no. 6438, &c.”–British Museum online catalogue.
784.03.11.05+
Acquired May 2017