Tag Archives: Kitchens

High life below stairs

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“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

High life below stairs

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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.

 

  • Artist: Grose, Francis, 1731?-1791, artist.
  • Title: [High life below stairs] [art original].
  • Production: [England], [not after 1767]

Catalog Record

Drawings G877 no. 1 Box D205

Acquired October 2022

The peace soup shop

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“John Bull sits full face holding a bowl of soup, between Addington, the cook, and the protesting Windham on the extreme right. On the left Pitt sits in profile to the left before an enormous kitchen fire, over which hangs a giant cauldron; he blows the fire with bellows, saying, ‘I dont know how it is – but I manage this Soup business rather awkwardly – I suppose it is from being so much used to the stewing and Broiling line.’ Addington, who wears the Speaker’s wig with apron and over-sleeves, and holds a long ladle, says: ‘Though I say it that made it – you never tasted better soup in your life’. Windham (right) stands in profile to the left his knees flexed, saying, ‘O’ Mr Bull – Mr Bull – if you have any regard for your Constitution – dont touch it – the Cayen of Jacobinism flavours every spoonful – and the Fire that boil it I consider as a Funeral Pile for all your well wishes – do Johnny take some of my Cheese-parings – they are very wholesome, and easy of Digestion.’ John says, his eyes turned towards Addington, his spoon raised to his mouth: ‘I don’t mind what he says – my Hearty I say it’s very good Soup – and a d——d deal better [word erased] than your Gin. I should like a little more bread for all that, and it would be quite as well – if it did not taste so strong of the Ceylon pepper.'”British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Printmaker: Roberts, Piercy, active 1791-1805, printmaker.
  • Title: The peace soup shop [graphic] / Woodward delin. ; etch’d by Roberts.
  • Publication: [London] : [publisher not identified], [ca. March 1802]

Catalog Record 

802.03.00.04+

Acquired September 2020

The man of the woods & the cat-o’-mountain

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Man with a monkey body and cat with a man's head sitting in front of a fire

“A kitchen scene [with a satire based on the fable of the “catspaw”]. A monkey with Wood’s head squats beside a plump cat with the head in profile of Queen Caroline. She sits gazing at the fire with an eagerly expectant smile. He puts his left hand on her shoulder and takes her right paw which is supported on his knee, looking fixedly at her with greedy expectation. Between the bars of the grate are four chestnuts like large potatoes. These are inscribed respectively: ‘Privileges’, ‘Rights’, ‘Liturgy’, ‘St Catherines’. Beside the grate and attached to a chain is a ‘Kettle of Fish’. Behind the cat is a big trap with steel teeth inscribed ’50 000 per Annum’. Behind it is a dresser, neatly arranged above a cupboard inscribed ‘Lately from St Omers’ [see British Museum Satires no. 13730]. On the dresser are a teapot and butterdish, each with a bust portrait of Bergami, and two cups, inscribed ‘BB’. There are also pans inscribed ‘Hash’ and ‘Stew’, a ‘Tinder’ box and bottle of ‘Brim-Stone’. On the chimneypiece, with other utensils, is a box of ‘Matches’.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Lane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • Title: The man of the woods & the cat-o’-mountain [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., March 27, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.03.27.01 Impression 2

Acquired March 2019

[John Bull roasted]

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[John Bull roasted]. Detailed description below.

A preparatory sketch for an unpublished caricature illustrating a scene in a large Georgian kitchen. In front of the open hearth a bull is roasting on a spit as a large-bottomed man (Grenville) sits beside it basting the meat. The dish beneath it is inscribed ‘Broad bottom dripping pan’. Other dishes around the room are labeled as are the pools of fat in the dripping pan; some legible notes include plum pudding and mock turtle.

  • Artist: Gillray, James, 1756-1815, artist.
  • Title: [John Bull roasted] [art original] / J. Gillray.
  • Production: [England], [ca. 1805]

Catalog Record

Drawings G41 no. 8 Box D300

Acquired November 2018

The man of the woods & the cat-o’-mountain

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A kitchen scene [with a satire based on the fable of the “catspaw”]. A monkey with Wood’s head squats beside a plump cat with the head in profile of Queen Caroline. She sits gazing at the fire with an eagerly expectant smile. He puts his left hand on her shoulder and takes her right paw which is supported on his knee, looking fixedly at her with greedy expectation. Between the bars of the grate are four chestnuts like large potatoes. These are inscribed respectively: ‘Privileges’, ‘Rights’, ‘Liturgy’, ‘St Catherines’. Beside the grate and attached to a chain is a ‘Kettle of Fish’. Behind the cat is a big trap with steel teeth inscribed ’50 000 per Annum’. Behind it is a dresser, neatly arranged above a cupboard inscribed ‘Lately from St Omers’ [see British Museum Satires no. 13730]. On the dresser are a teapot and butterdish, each with a bust portrait of Bergami, and two cups, inscribed ‘BB’. There are also pans inscribed ‘Hash’ and ‘Stew’, a ‘Tinder’ box and bottle of ‘Brim-Stone’. On the chimneypiece, with other utensils, is a box of ‘Matches’.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Lane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • Title: The man of the woods & the cat-o’-mountain [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., March 27, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.03.27.01

Acquired March 2017

A catalogue of the kitchin furniture of John Bull Esqr.

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“Satire on Bute’s alleged sale of public positions paralleled with Earl Talbot’s introduction of economies into the royal household. An auction is taking place in a large kitchen where, in the centre, Talbot, Lord Steward of the Household, instructs the auctioneer’s clerk at a table beneath the podium. On the left, three cooks, one a Frenchman planning to leave for Calais to work for “Monsr. Grandsire”, are mocked by a Scot for not being able to make haggis; another cook brandishing a gridiron and two ladles stands in front of the fireplace in which stands only a cracked pot filled with thistles. On the right, a poor man plans to bid for “old rags or broken glass”, and a stout middle-class woman plans to purchase a ladle to beat her husband, while Princess Augusta and Lord Bute converse intimately; the Princess points suggestively to a large pot resting with other utensils on the floor. In the background, a chaplain laments the lack both “of victuals and of grace”.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Title: A catalogue of the kitchin furniture of John Bull Esqr. leaving of house-keeping now selling by auction [graphic].
  • Publication: [London : Publish’d according to act of Parliament by J. Williams, next the Mitre Tavern, Fleet Street, 1762]

Catalog Record & Digital Collection

762.00.00.153

Acquired April 2016