Do you want any brick-dust

description below

“A pretty young maidservant stands on a doorstep (right) while a man, Irish in appearance, gazes insinuatingly into her face as he fills her bowl with brick-dust from a jar. He has an ass which stands patiently, a double sack pannier-wise across his back and a second jar or measure standing on the sack. The profile of a shrewish old woman looks through the door at the couple, who are intent on each other. A dog barks at the girl. Behind is a street, the nearer houses tall the farther ones lower and gabled. At the doorway opposite a woman appears to be giving food to a poor woman and child. A man and woman lean from the attic windows of adjacent houses to converse. A little chimney-sweep emerges from a chimney, waving his brush.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Merke, Henri, printmaker.
  • Title: Do you want any brick-dust [graphic] / Rowlandson delin. ; Merke sculp.
  • Publication: London : Pub. Feb. 20, 1799, at R. Ackermann’s, 101 Strand, [20 February 1799]

Catalog Record

799.02.20.03+

Acquired April 2023

Columbus breaking the egg

description below

Christopher Columbus demonstrating how to make an egg stand on its end. The five observers look at the cracked egg, upright on the table, in amusement at the evidence of an inventive mind at work. Two other eggs intertwined with two eels lie on a plate in the center of the table. A dog peeps over the edge of the table in the foreground; the cutlery is pushed off to one side.

 

  • Title: Columbus breaking the egg [graphic].
  • Publication: [Alnwick] : Printed and published by W. Davison, Alnwick, [between 1812 and 1817]

Catalog Record

812.00.00.112 Impression 2

Acquired August 2022

High life below stairs

description below

“Interior of a kitchen showing servants at leisure: a stout woman dances with a black man in the centre accompanied by a man with a wooden leg who sits playing a violin on the left; watched by others on the right, a young woman standing on a chair and supported by a young man, while a seated man wearing a tricorn smiles and points at her and an elderly woman stands with her arms folded under her apron, a dog at her heels; two posters pasted on the wall behind, shelves, bellows and other kitchen implements in the background.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of a print of the same design.

 

  • Title: High life below stairs [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : [Carington Bowles?], [approximately 1770]

Catalog Record

770.00.00.103+

Acquired November 2022

The fruits of early industry & oeconemy

description below

“A family in a wealthy interior; an elderly man at centre, seated at a table, a glass in his left hand, holding out his right to receive coins from a younger man standing to left with his right hand on a book and a quill in his mouth; on the table, another glass, writing materials, coins and notes; to right, a woman …, supporting, and holding up a bunch of grapes for, a young child standing on a chair; looking on from behind the chair, a boy and, at right, a black servant holding a bowl of fruit, his left hand on the chair; in front of the table, a young girl lying on the carpet with a spaniel; a shipping wharf seen through an open window to left.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of another print engraved after the same painting

  • Printmaker: Darcis, Louis, -1801, printmaker.
  • Title: The fruits of early industry & oeconemy [sic] [graphic] / G. Morland pinxt. ; Darcis sculpt.
  • Publication: London : [publisher not identified], publishd. March 25, 1800.

Catalog Record

Drawer 800.03.25.07

Acquired April 2023

Country sport

description below

Print shows a man and a boy chasing a pig in the yard of a country alehouse. In the background, another man pauses to remove his hat and wipe his brow, while a fourth has evidently tripped and lies sprawling on the ground. A dog barks at the commotion.

 

  • Title: Country sport [graphic].
  • Publication: [Alnwick] : Printed and published by W. Davison, Alnwick, [between 1812 and 1817]

Catalog Record

812.00.00.114 Impression 2

Acquired August 2022

Industry and oeconomy

description below

“Dock scene, a sign on the wall reads ‘Bell Wharf’: a man in a black coat and hat stands writing, resting the paper on a crate, looking to right at a young man with a neck-tie, who stands beside a man carrying a sack, giving an account, hat in hand, while gesturing to another man who brings a barrel up the steps and talks to a man in a rowing boat, alongside to right, with wife and two children to left.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of another print engraved after the same painting.

  • Printmaker: Darcis, Louis, -1801, printmaker.
  • Title: Industry and oeconomy [graphic] / H. Singleton pinxt. ; Darcis sculpt.
  • Publication: London : [publisher not identified], publishd. March 25, 1800.

Catalog Record

800.03.25.06 Impression 1

Acquired April 2023

The effects of youthful extravagance & idleness

description below

“Poverty-stricken family in bare, attic interior; man seated at left beside table, skinny dog beside him, looking away from woman, standing in centre mending garment, watched by boy lying on floor and resting on stool at right, looking up from his reading; young woman sitting dejectedly with bellows beside fireplace, at right.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of another print engraved after the same painting.

  • Printmaker: Darcis, Louis, -1801, printmaker.
  • Title: The effects of youthful extravagance & idleness [graphic] / G. Morland pinxt. ; Darcis sculpt.
  • Publication: London : [publisher not identified], publishd. March 25, 1800.

Catalog Record

Drawer 800.03.25.08

Acquired April 2023

Columbus breaking the egg

description below

Christopher Columbus demonstrating how to make an egg stand on its end. The five observers look at the cracked egg, upright on the table, in amusement at the evidence of an inventive mind at work. Two other eggs intertwined with two eels lie on a plate in the center of the table. A dog peeps over the edge of the table in the foreground; the cutlery is pushed off to one side.

Catalog Record

812.00.00.112 Impression 3

Acquired August 2022

Returned from the ball

description below

“Young woman dressed in her ballgown half-reclines on a settee in her bedroom while her elderly maid yawns with tiredness.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: Returned from the ball [graphic] / [figure of Paul Pry holding a candle].
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. by T. McLean, 26 Haymarket, [approximately 1829]

Catalog Record

829.00.00.118+

Acquired May 2023

The march of intellect

description below

An aspirational dustman in ragged clothes, a monocle hanging from his hat, and smoking a cigar, sits in a chair before the hearth reading a book, “An introduction to the pleasures of … schince by Barnart Botherum […] dedicated to the majesty of the people”. On the table are bowl, a goblet and a bottle of Port. On the wall hangs a landscape and on the mantel a bust of Shakespeare. The dog at his feet stares at the fire, the bones of fish dinner on a plate beside him. A large bell sits on the floor beside the dustman.

 

  • Printmaker: Heath, Henry, active 1824-1850, printmaker.
  • Title: The march of intellect [graphic] / H. Heath del.
  • Publication: London : Published April 1828 by S. Maunder, 10 Newgate Street, [April 1828]

Catalog Record

828.04.00.03

Acquired June 2022