Illustration to a poetic version of Aesop’s fable of a man with an older and a younger wife; the younger plucked out all his grey hairs, and the older, the dark ones with the inevitable result
File 763 752 Ae254
Acquired November 2024
A print showing the front elevation of a brothel, with a sign over the door “Young Ladies Educated & Board.” At the threshold of the establishment, the brothel keeper (possibly Charlotte Hayes) stands at the front door talking with a young man who holds a riding crop (possibly her common-law husband, Dennis O’Kelly.) The two windows on the ground floor show, on the left, a woman entertaining a portly gentleman, and, on the right, two pretty, young woman, one leaning out the window to view the scene at the door. In the two windows on the upper, left and center, two other women are already entertaining men (one of whom is a clergyman) while on the right, two pretty women look down at the scene on the brothel threshold. On the left, a man reads handbills in a covered alley identified as “Kings Place.” On the sidewalk (left) a pedestrian holds a monocle to his eye to better see the women; in his pocket is a paper with a title “Economical Lowe[r?]. On the sidewalk to the right, a flower girl in ragged clothes holds out a bunch of flowers to the young man addressing the madam. A woman (dwarf) crier holds a sheet titled “The Harlot’s Progress.”
777.10.30.02+
Acquired October 2024
“In a room at the Pavilion Prince Leopold is introduced to Princess Charlotte, a bashful girl holding a skipping-rope in her gloved hands. She is pushed forward by Queen Charlotte (right), lean, ugly, and wearing court dress with a tiara. The Queen holds a large snuff-box inscribed ‘Strasbo[urg]’ (see British Museum Satires No. 12066) and says: “Go along Scape grace speak kindly to him.” The Regent in the doorway on the extreme left propels the prince forward with the end of a crutch, using the other as a support to his gouty left leg. He says: “Courage Man! don’t be bashfull!” A garter inscribed ‘Honi soit’ holds up the bulky covering of his gouty leg. Prince Leopold wears a braided and fur-bordered hussar tunic with tight pantaloons and spurred Hessian boots. His left hand is on the hilt of a large sabre, and he holds his heavily plumed and tasselled shako before his face. He says: “Madam I have no money, but I’m of the right breed, true German, an blood Royal.” The Princess answers: “I had rather you was English! but a German husband is better than none.” Both stand with flexed knees and lowered eyes. Behind Princess Charlotte is a much-festooned window looking on to the sea. Dragons dominate the decorations of the room, and, as in British Museum Satires No. 12754, the Regent’s crutches. They support the curtains, a window-seat, and a console-table (right) where a large china mandarin sits with his back reflected in a wall-mirror; below it is a large Chinese jar. Bells dangle from the curtain draperies.”–British Museum online catalogue.
816.03.00.02+
Acquired June 2024
“A wealthy middle class family gathered in a room, the father standing in the centre, leaning on the back of a chair which his youngest child stands upon, embracing him, a son standing beside pointing to an open book and the mother sitting at left, gazing to right while another daughter beside plays with a kitten, a bird in a cage on table beside; at right an older son looks out anxiously at the ships on river beyond, his coat over his arm..”–British Museum online catalogue.
799.09.29.01++
Acquired April 2023
“A stout, ugly, and elderly woman holds in her left hand a barber’s block, with a carved head in profile, on which is an elaborate pyramidal wig with ringlets. This she is covering with powder or flour from a dredger. Her hair is short and scanty; on her head is a very large black patch, two smaller ones are on her temple. She is dressed in undergarments, showing stays, and frilled petticoat over which is worn a pocket. Her dress, the bodice of which is almost cylindrical from its stiffening whalebone, is on a stool behind her. Her back is turned to the casement window (right) through which look two grinning old women, wearing frilled muslin caps. Over the window, and over the wall on its left, is a heavily festooned curtain. Sacarissa stands facing a low rectangular table (left), on which are a bottle and wine-glass, a candle (?) in a triangular shade, which is falling over, having apparently been knocked by the wig, patches, a comb, a paper, &c. Behind on the wall, in deep shadow, is a picture of a dome inscribed “The Pantheon”.”–British Museum online catalogue.
772.02.24.02+
Acquired April 2023
“A family in a wealthy interior; an elderly man at centre, seated at a table, a glass in his left hand, holding out his right to receive coins from a younger man standing to left with his right hand on a book and a quill in his mouth; on the table, another glass, writing materials, coins and notes; to right, a woman …, supporting, and holding up a bunch of grapes for, a young child standing on a chair; looking on from behind the chair, a boy and, at right, a black servant holding a bowl of fruit, his left hand on the chair; in front of the table, a young girl lying on the carpet with a spaniel; a shipping wharf seen through an open window to left.”–British Museum online catalogue, description of another print engraved after the same painting
Drawer 800.03.25.07
Acquired April 2023
“Fox stoops to support on his back Horne Tooke, who is about to climb into the window of ‘St Stephe[n’s] Chap[el]’, the name on a slab over the door, partly cut off by the right margin. The door is being closed by Lord Temple, who says: “He shall not pollute this holy Temple”. Tooke rests his right foot on Fox’s back, his hands grasping the sill; his left toe is in a cranny in the wall above a placard headed: ‘Old Sarum Dilly takes only one at the Brazenface’. He looks down at Fox, saying, “don’t give way I am not quite in Yet”. Fox, his head towards the door, one foot supported on a book: ‘Powerfull Reasons for Non attendance’, says: “Come on with you!! and mind and button your great Coat to hide the Old Cassock.” Tooke’s greatcoat hangs open, showing his coat, and the skirt of a short cassock over knee-breeches. On the wall beside him is a torn placard: ‘A New Edition The Diversions of Purley by the Rev John H…’ The keystone of the arch over the door, on the extreme right, is a satyr’s head, leering at Tooke with protruding tongue.”–British Museum online catalogue.
801.03.14.02+
Acquired November 2020
“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.
821.04.03.01
Acquired March 2019