Dido in despair

Dido in despair. Detailed description below

“A parody of British Museum Satires No. 9752, Gillray’s ‘Dido in Despair!’ The Queen takes the place of Lady Hamilton, in a similar pose but tearing her long black hair with more of rage and less of grief. She wears a bracelet on each arm, one inscribed ‘BB’ (for Bergami), the other ‘MW’ (for Wood). On the floor are gifts to the Queen. Her bare right foot rests on a large cake inscribed ‘MW’ on which are various emblems: a large crown, which she kicks over, busts of Wood, Bergami, Lieut. Hownam, and an unidentified person; also a goat, an ass, and a cat. This stands on a paper: ‘Mr Trifle’s Love to the Q[ueen]’. A huge round of beef is ticketed ‘With Mr Suets Love to the Q–n’; with this is a roll of ‘Cat’s Meat’. A model of a pair of stays enclosed in a glass case stands on two papers: ‘Glass-blower’s Delight’ and ‘O stay my love my Cary dear’. A pair of breeches of metal is ‘For Bat [Bergami] or Cat ad libitum from the Brazier[s]’. Caricatures lie near a pair of slippers inscribed ‘BB’; the uppermost is of Bergami drinking at a table between Wood and the Queen. A book is ‘Catalogue of Fancy Men’. The glass on the dressing-table is topped by a crescent; on it hang miniatures of Bergami and Wood (cf. No. 13858). The table is covered with decanters, one labelled ‘Brandy’ [see British Museum Satires No. 14175], glass, pill-box, and boxes of ‘Rouge’, ‘Brick dust’, and ‘Court Plaister’. The curtains of the bed are fringed with gold and hang from a pelmet. In place of Gillray’s open sash-window is a closed French window; outside is a landscape, with two asses, and a lake (Como) with a sailing-boat.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Lane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • Title: Dido in despair [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., April 3rd, 1821.

Catalog Record 

821.04.03.01

Acquired March 2019

Bat, Cat and Mat

Caricature with Queen Caroline with her arms linked to those of Bergami and her lawyer

Caricature with Queen Caroline with her arms linked to those of Bergami and her lawyer, as they step along the road between St Omer and Calais. The Queen wears a watch at her waist and two miniature portraits hang from cords at her bosom. In the background her coach awaits with a coachman in tall boots smiling at the scene. A re-issue with new background of a plate first published on 19 January 1821.

  • Printmaker: Lane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • Title: Bat, Cat and Mat [graphic] : how happy could I be with either.
  • Publication: London : Published by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., June 1, 1821.

Catalog Record 

821.06.01.04

Acquired March 2019

Installation of a Knight Companion of the Bath

Princess Caroline sits in an ornate oval bath

“Princess Caroline (left) sits in an ornate oval bath in a small boarded room. Bergami stands in the bath (right), draping himself in a towel from the waist down, and splashing water at his companion, who extends her arms towards him, with an encouraging smile. A man and woman, evidently Majocchi and Demont, peep from behind the door (right). On the bath is a Maltese cross (see British Museum Satires No. 13810), placed hatchment-wise between supporters, the Lion and Unicorn, who lie with closed and averted eyes. The Princess’s feathered hat and the miniature of Bergami (cf. British Museum Satires No. 14103) hang on the wall (left). Beside her on a camp-stool are a bottle of ‘Brandy’ [see British Museum Satires No. 14175] and a decanter of ‘Essence of Bergami’. His postilion’s boots and cap are on the floor.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Lane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • Title: Installation of a Knight Companion of the Bath [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Published by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., June 1, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.06.01.05

Acquired March 2019

 

“Tent-ation”

Caroline lies on a sofa within a tent

Caroline lies on a sofa within a tent, dressed in her nightclothes and wearing a miniature of Bergami around her neck; her feathered hat rests on the ground, and on the small table beside her sit bottles of “Brandy” and “Essense of Bergamo” and a container of “Rouge”. She smiles and looks over at Bergami, who sits beside her, his slippers and hat discarded on the floor below. Above, a man reaches into the tent to take a lit candle in the candlestick from Bergami, who hands it off with a pleased expression on his face. Beside him on the sofa is a book entitled “The Pilgrim’s Guide”.

  • Printmaker: Lane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • Title: “Tent-ation” [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., June 25, 1821.

Catalog Record 

821.06.25.01

Acquired March 2019

A wooden substitute, or, Any port in a storm

A wooden substitute, or, Any port in a storm. Detailed description below

“A companion plate to British Museum Satires no. 14103. Alderman Wood takes the Queen’s left arm, staring down at her and grinning. He wears a top-hat on the back of his head, black tail-coat with trousers; his left hand is thrust under the buttons of his double-breasted coat. He wears an order and a star on which the Queen’s head is depicted (see British Museum Satires no. 13810). From her neck hang twin miniatures: Bergami and Wood. Her dress is a modified version of that in British Museum Satires no. 14103: between open over-dress and Turkish trousers is a frilled petticoat reaching well below the knee; her feathered hat resembles that worn at her ‘trial’. They stand in a wooded landscape with goats and rabbits in the middle distance. In the background, on the edge of a lake, is the tiny figure of Bergami, both arms raised.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Lane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • Title: A wooden substitute, or, Any port in a storm [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., Jany. 19, 1821.

Catalog Record 

821.01.19.01 Impression 2

Acquired March 2019

 

The bear broke loose

“A muzzled bear sits up, as if begging, on a fat woman who lies on her back. She says: “Gemini! what a Weight! my poor dear Mr Dripping was quite a Feather to him”. The bear’s keeper (right) raises his club, saying, “Down Bruin! I’ll teach you to ride the high Horse”. A dog (right) springs towards the bear. A man (left) runs off, saying, “D——m me I’ll be off! . . . [etc.]”.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Grinagain, Giles, printmaker, artist.
  • Title:The bear broke loose [graphic] / Giles Grinagain invt. et fect.
  • Publication:[London] : Published Decbr. 20th, 1801, by S. Howitt, Panton Street, [20 December 1801]

Catalog Record 

801.12.20.03

Acquired November 2017

Bat, Cat & Mat, or, How happy could I be with either

Caricature with Queen Caroline on the arms of Bergami (left) and Alderman Wood (right), jubilant on the sidewalk before the door of “Mother Wood”. The Queen wears a watch at her waist and two miniature portraits hanging from cords from her bosom.

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleBat, Cat & Mat, or, How happy could I be with either [graphic].
  • PublicationLondon : Pub. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., Jan. 19, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.01.19.02

Acquired March 2017

A wooden substitute, or, Any port in a storm

“A companion plate to British Museum Satires no. 14103. Alderman Wood takes the Queen’s left arm, staring down at her and grinning. He wears a top-hat on the back of his head, black tail-coat with trousers; his left hand is thrust under the buttons of his double-breasted coat. He wears an order and a star on which the Queen’s head is depicted (see British Museum Satires no. 13810). From her neck hang twin miniatures: Bergami and Wood. Her dress is a modified version of that in British Museum Satires no. 14103: between open over-dress and Turkish trousers is a frilled petticoat reaching well below the knee; her feathered hat resembles that worn at her ‘trial’. They stand in a wooded landscape with goats and rabbits in the middle distance. In the background, on the edge of a lake, is the tiny figure of Bergami, both arms raised.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleA wooden substitute, or, Any port in a storm [graphic].
  • PublicationLondon : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., Jany. 19, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.01.19.01

Acquired March 2017