Copy of a self-portrait by William Hogarth; the artist is portrayed as if on an oval canvas resting on a pile of books; in the foreground, his dog Trump, his burin and palette.
- Creator: Smith, Benjamin, -1833, engraver.
- Title: William Hogarth [realia] : from the original picture in the collection of John & Josiah Boydell / painted by W. Hogarth ; engraved by Benj. Smith.
- Manufacture: [London] : Published June 4, 1795, by J. & J. Boydell, No. 90 Cheapside; & at the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall, [4 June 1795]
Hogarth 795.06.04.02
Acquired July 2022
“Lord Cornwallis holds a levee in Government House, Calcutta, in a large room divided by a panelled partition which stretches across the design from left to right and is broken by three wide doorways, showing an inner room, crowded with guests, with three large windows between which are pier-glasses in ornate frames. In the spaces between the doorways are four candle-sconces placed above four of Thomas Daniell’s ‘Views of Calcutta’, either the originals or (more probably) the aquatints. [Published by him at Calcutta 1786-8, reproduced in W. Corfield’s ‘Calcutta Faces and Places’. Cf. also ‘Memoirs of William Hickey’, iii. 327, 342.] In the nearer portion of the room the figures are dispersed; Cornwallis stands in the inner room on the right, his right hand on his breast, left in his breeches pocket. He is talking to Cudbert Thornhill, a grotesque-looking civilian who faces him in profile to the right. Behind Thornhill, waiting to approach Cornwallis, is King Collins wearing regimentals. Behind this group is a crowd of unidentified guests. The figures in the foreground (left to right) are: Lt.-Col. Alexander Ross, secretary to Cornwallis, who is talking to Colonel John Fullarton, senior officer at the Presidency (‘East India Kalendar’, 1791, p. 14). Next, a stout civilian, with legs thick to deformity, holds both hands of a very slim and foppish civilian; they are John Haldane and Claud Benizett, [Identified by Wright and Evans as John Wilton.] Sub-Treasurer. The centre figures are a very stout colonel talking to a thin and grotesque civilian holding a long cane; both wear spectacles. They are Colonel Auchmuty and William Pye, Collector of the Twenty-four Pergunnahs. A grotesquely ugly little civilian, standing alone in profile to the left, taking snuff, is W. C. Blaquiere. [Identified by Wright and Evans] On the extreme right an obese man and a cadaverously thin man, both civilians, take each other’s hands in an affected manner; they are Robert MacFarlane, Clerk of the Market, and John Miller, Deputy of Police. From MacFarlane’s pocket hangs a long paper: ‘Price Current Calcutta Market Grain Rice Bran Paddy Agent’. Behind Pye stands the Rev. Thomas Blanshard, a very stout man in profile to the left with his hands behind his back. Behind him a civilian grasps the hands of a Greek priest wearing robes and a high hat. They are Edward Tiretta of the Bazaar and Father Parthanio. …”–British Museum online catalogue.
“A number of men seated round a circular table over the wine manifesting sleepiness or exhaustion in different ways, while an officer in regimentals harangues them on some campaign. He sits over the table, in profile to the right, gesticulating with outstretched arms over a plan drawn on the table-cloth. Two overturned wine-glasses lie in front of him, two empty bottles stand on the table. On the farther side of the table a man stands up, stretching and yawning violently. His neighbour on his right also yawns; the man on his left supports his head on his hands, scowling at the speaker through half-closed eyes. Next him (right) a man in profile to the left holding a wine-glass yawns widely. Two others in profile to the right are asleep in attitudes of extreme weariness. A very fat man, sitting on the left. I turned away from the table, with outstretched legs in top-boots, yawns violently. From the right enters a servant with tousled hair, wearing a striped jersey; he is bringing in a boot-jack and pair of slippers, he too is yawning violently. In the foreground are two dogs.”–British Museum online catalogue.
“Elderly men sit and stand, all smoking long pipes; large clouds of smoke issue from their mouths, but little or nothing comes from the bowls of their pipes. Most sit or stand silently morose; two standing men (left) appear to be puffing smoke in each other’s faces. One leans back, apparently asleep, but smoking. An ugly man seated on the extreme right takes the hand of a pretty young woman who stands opposite him; he holds a large key. She slips a note into the hand of a fierce-looking military officer who stands with his back to her. On the wall (right) is a placard: ‘At a general meeting of this Society, it was resolv’d by a Majority of Independent members, that any member may be Indulg’d with having the Key brought him, by his Servant or hand-maid, but on no pretence whatever be followd by that bane of good fellowship calld the White Sergeant.’ Above the door are framed Rules: ‘Ist No Gemman to be a member of this Society who cannot smoke three pipes at one sitting – NB no Spitting 2d No members pipe to be more than 14 Inches nor less than nine unless permitted so to do by the Landlady 3d Every member to find his own Stopper 4th Any member who puffs designedly in the face of another, to be find sixpence or be puff’d at in return by the whole company 5th All fines to be spent in Porter T. Twig Secy’ On the back wall is a large print of Sir Walter Raleigh seated smoking (right) while a servant raises a bucket to fling at the smoke.”–British Museum online catalogue.
