With two plates after Marcellus Laroon both depicting Quakers, one showing a Quaker man and the second a Quaker woman, both dated 1690.
75 G795 773
Acquired December 2023
“A Dutch broadside satirising the arrival of William III in England and the overthrow of James II and his Roman Catholic policies; with an engraving showing in the foreground on the right William (7) in armour mounted on the Dutch lion (1), attacking the many-headed Babylonian dragon (2) with his lance. Above William flies the angel of Providence (3). To left, priests and Catholic officials (4) flee, some riding on goats, wolves and asses. The dragon carries the infant Prince of Wales holding a windmill (5) held by Father Petre (6). The lion rides over fallen monks and Jesuits (8) and two decapitated heads of the dragon. In the centre background William is received by English notables (9). To left, James (10) departs in a small boat from a shore with a ruined church; to right; he is received by Louis XIV (11), together with Mary of Modena and the infant Prince of Wales. With engraved title, false publication line “Gisling Geneve exc.”, and numbering 1-10, and with letterpress verses, including legend, in two columns.”–British Museum online catalogue.
688.00.00.01+
Acquired February 2024
“Napoleon, pushing an officer before him through a pillared doorway, looks back to speak to a monk and a sansculotte, shackled together, who drag a car in which is an imperial crown. They hold a large scroll inscribed: ‘Most religious Sovereign – the benefactor of the church – the patron of liberty – the scourge of tyrants, and the defender of our most holy religion; may you long fill the Imperial Chair, and diffuse over a free and happy people all the blessings of your auspicious government.’ Demons fly round a tricolour flag which floats from the car. Napoleon holds out a scroll headed: ‘Address, &c. &c. &c. The Legions of France congratu – ‘, saying, “This token of your gratitude, my dear subjects will ever stimulate me to protect your liberties – to promote your happiness – and to preserve my empire from the ravages of war, tyranny and oppression.” The officer, with a cynical smile, says: “Patron of Liberty – Defender of our most holy Religion – free and happy People – Ha! ha! ha! – What may we not expect? – Has he not got them under excellent subjection?” On the left is Napoleon’s ‘Secret Chamber’: a table is covered with maps and plans; a large map, partly unrolled, shows Europe from ‘[En]gland to [Tur]key’, including the ‘Black Sea’; another map shows ‘Suez’ and the ‘Red Sea’. A demon under the table holds up a large pile of papers: ‘Plans against England’; on the floor are similar piles: ‘Religion’ and ‘Treaties’. There are also ‘Plans against Germany and Turkey’, and a paper: ‘Mem. the chance of the conquest of England is worth the sacrifice of one third of the people of France. Item. As Charlemaine not only conquered Italy, but the whole of Germany, and left the Imperial dignity hereditary in the Sovereigns of France, it is indispensably necessary to obtain possession of Germany, in order to support the dignity of the Gallic empire.’ On the wall are three pictures: ‘Sacking of Rome’, ‘Dissolution of the National Assembly’ [see British Museum Satires No. 9426, &c], and ‘View of Cairo’ [see British Museum Satires No. 9358, &c.]. Below the design: ‘Explanation. The two figures bringing the Imperial crown . . . represent . . . the bitter Enemies of Aristocracy, and the staunch Supporters of the late Monarchial Government, tackled to the National Machine, and reduced to the most abject State of Slavery by the Influence of the Military, whose congratulatory Address Bonaparte has received at the Hand of an Officer, and is introducing him into his Secret Chamber to receive Instructions. The Demons hovering over the Imperial Crown denote Five Years of Destruction; during which Period Bonaparte will overrun and ravage the greater Part of the Continent of Europe, be the Means of nearly depopulating Turkey, and finally be slain with the Sword, be cast out as an abominable Branch, and be left as Dung to rot on the Face of the Earth.”–British Museum online catalogue.
804.08.13.01+
Acquired May 2021
Ferdinand VII, seated on a throne on a low platform inscribed “TIRANIA”, is flanked by two advisers, the Devil on the left and a friar on the right. At the friar’s feet, in the foreground, a demon burns newspapers with a firebrand. Tortures of the Inquisition are seen in the background.
818.11.00.01+
Acquired March 2020
A watercolor sketch of two rotund monks in front of a entrance to monastery in a lane within gate and wall surround. One attends closely to a young lady with two baskets on her arms; the other reads, lounging on a bench with his one foot raised.
Drawings R79 no. 15 Box D145
Acquired July 2020
An old man, wearing a robe from which hangs a crucifix, walks with a staff towards a city in the distance. A long beard grows from his chin and long hair hangs from the back of his head; the top of his head is completely bald.
812.00.00.109
Acquired September 2019
A satirical broadside, with two vignettes of the “Weaver”. On the left the weaver is at his loom his back to his wife who is seated at the hearth warming her hands over the fire. On the right he is shown in the disguise of a Friar receiving his wife for confession as she kneels before him. Two columns of verse below: “A weaver jealous of his wife like many, Still dream’t of horns before the Knave had any … Twas you were the young man the old man & [the] Fryer. Finis.”
741.00.00.19
Acquired November 2018
“An ancient Gothic church in the middle distance stands on a grassy hill inscribed ‘Protestant Ascendency’; under the hill (left) is a cave, ‘Cave of Catholic Ascendency’, in which are barrels of ‘Gun . Pow[der]’. A fat bare-footed friar walks away from the cave towards the picture-plane, carrying a lighted candle, and slyly laying a train of powder on the road to the cave. Standing round the church is a crowd of country people, listening to a parson who holds out to them a ‘Petition to Parliament’. They are unconscious, not only that the ground beneath them is mined, but that men (right) are tugging at a rope looped round the steeple, which is about to crash. The rope-pullers are in the foreground (right); at the extreme end is Wellington with his back to the church, straining hard. Next is Peel, wearing an orange waistcoat (cf. British Museum Satires No. 15690) badly stained by the rope; Brougham, a broom-girl dressed as in British Museum Satires No. 14769, is next, with Mackintosh in Highland costume beside him. In front of them is Burdett, very tall and thin, holding up his hat and shouting ‘Down with it–never mind the People’ [see British Museum Satires No. 16058]. In front is O’Connell, in wig and gown, shouting, ‘By St Patrick I’ve got the Rope over at Last.’ Behind these principals are more men, tugging at a second rope. On a green field topping a cliff behind the church-breakers is Eldon wearing a smock and guiding a plough; he turns to shout to the petitioners by the church, who will be crushed by the falling tower: ‘Look to your selves People.’ Along the horizon (left) is a Papist procession with lighted tapers, the Host, crosses, a grotesque Pope, and figures under a canopy. It approaches St. Paul’s whose dome rises above the sky-line. On the extreme right is the Monument (see British Museum satires no. 15688, &c.) in flames.”–British Museum online catalogue.
829.03.19.01+
Acquired October 2018
“An archaic iron-studded door, with posts and lintel of solid but ancient oak, represents the door of the ‘COMMONS’ [inscription on lintel]. Above: ‘”They of Rome are enter’d in our Counsels Sh.’ [‘Coriolanus’, I. ii]. An old-clothes’ man stands at the door in profile to the left gazing up at the inscription; he raises the knocker, a ring in the mouth of an angry lion’s head. He is bearded, with an ultra-Jewish profile, and has three hats piled on his own, the topmost being a flaunting feminine erection. He wears a ragged and patched gaberdine, old-fashioned buckled shoes, and carries across his shoulder a large bag, from a hole in which projects a pig’s foot (a pig in his poke). On his back is an open box of trinkets, containing watches. Close behind him stands a turbaned Turk, watching him with eager anxiety. The Jew: ‘Come I sha–Open the door vill ye–I vants to come in–and heres a shentlemans a friend of mines–vants to come in too–dont be afeard–I dont vant a sheat for nothing–I can pay for it So help me Got.’ Three men (safely inside) look down at the applicants from a small open window beside the door (right): a dissenter, holding his hat, and characterized by lank hair and plebeian features (resembling Liston as Maw-Worm, cf. British Museum Satires No. 16943); a Jesuit wearing a biretta, and putting a thumb to his nose, and a fat elderly monk; the last two frown. The left door-post (somewhat cracked) is inscribed: ‘OAK Suppose to be sound Put up 1688 only latly discovered to be full of Skakes[?peare].'”–British Museum online catalogue.
829.06.00.01+
Acquired October 2018
Two young women, attired in low-cut, fine dresses, their veils pulled back over their hair exposing their pretty, young faces, sit in a semi-embrace on a blue loveseat in a garden, one looking lovingly into the eyes of the other with her hand posed to encircle her companion. The other, wearing red shoes, with a rosary at her waist, looks down toward the low neckline of the first. Standing next to them is a rotund Catholic monk in brown robes. He points to the two women while with a mischievous smile he looks to the viewer. Below him is the caption: “The Scene delightful, Beauty here, what then! Ah, Benedicite! Men are but Men.” The women speak: “We live recluse and are believed religious, We but dissemble for our Lusts prodigious.”
787.04.05.01+
Acquired August 2017