print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1851,0901.467
- Title
- Object: Diversions of Hatfield.
- Description
-
Five men who appear to be menservants are grouped on the left of the design, taking part in an archery contest. The target is placed on a tree in the form of a woman, branches being upraised arms. An African in livery takes aim, saying, "now for de midle hole in de hair." On the right, beyond the target, Lord Salisbury, in back view, but recognizable from the stiffness of his legs and person (cf. Gillray's 'Polonius', 1795), stands beside a seat on which sit two ladies. He says: "he'll be in I think." The lady next him says "he stands well". A foppish military officer leans on the back of the seat; a lady stands beside him watching through an eye-glass. In the middle distance, near the archers, are three maidservants who say respectively, "black John is a good one"; "I know that", and "so do I". Beneath the design are twelve lines of verse beginning:
'Hatfield's fair Hostess prompt by wit,
To Arch'ry's chosen few,
Presents a mark for all to hit
That point their arrows true,' 24 July 1789
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1789
- Dimensions
-
Height: 246 millimetres
-
Width: 680 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938)
For archery as a fashionable sport cf. Rowlandson's 'Toxophilites', pub. 20 Feb. 1790 (not satirical).
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1851
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1851,0901.467