The restive Pegasus…

“A man in ragged but quasi-fashionable dress rides (right to left) an ass through a river which flows past a steep mountain. The animal jibs, with ears set back; the rider raises a whip in each hand. He wears, and uses, three pairs of spurs, and attached to his shoulders and to the ass is a monstrous pile of bladders inscribed respectively ‘Repartee’, ‘Nonsensical Verses’, ‘Catastrophe’, ‘Sentiment’, ‘Blasphemies’, ‘Puns’, ‘Duels’, ‘Double Entendres’, ‘Metaphors’, ‘Ghosts’, ‘Melting Speeches’, ‘Squibs’, ‘Dialogue’, ‘Daggers Poisons’.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of a later state.

  • Printmaker: Grinagain, Giles, printmaker, artist.
  • Title: The restive Pegasus, or, The dramatic author foiled in his attempt to ascend Parnassus [graphic] / Giles Grinagain in. et f.
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. July 25, 1802, by S. Howitt, Panton Street, [25 July 1802]

Catalog Record 

802.07.25.01

Acquired November 2017

The Q-n’s ass in a band-box

“The Queen, grossly caricatured, sits on a zebra which stands in a round band-box with a hinged and upturned lid inscribed ‘a Present from Baro Bergami’. The zebra has the (profile) head of Wood, looking with greedy and imbecile satisfaction towards a sieve of food inscribed ‘[Wa]rden of St Catherine’. This is held out by two hands projecting from the left margin. The Queen, with a grin both calculating and insane, sits full-face, negligently holding reins attached to Wood’s mouth, her left hand on her hip. She sits in a smaller (bottomless) band-box which surrounds her from hips to knees, the left leg, in frilled drawers, being thrust forward from beneath it. She wears a décolletée dress; on her head is an erection of feathers and flowers rising from a circlet inscribed ‘Wood’. An owl (cf. British Museum Satires no. 14199) flies by her head. In the background is Brandenburgh House, in front of which is a braying ass.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleThe Q-n’s ass in a band-box [graphic].
  • PublicationLondon : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., Jany. 22, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.01.22.01

Acquired March 2017