- Museum number
- 1851,0901.666
- Title
- Object: The French Invasion; or John Bull, bombarding the Bum-boats
- Description
-
A comic map, inscribed 'A new Map of England & France', actually showing England and Wales, the SW. corner of Scotland, the north of France, just including 'Paris', and the Belgian coast as far as Ostend. England is represented by the body of George III (John Bull), his head in profile to the right, wearing a fool's cap composed of 'Northumberland'. His left leg is drawn up, Norfolk forms the knee, the mouth of the 'River Thames' the ankle, Kent the foot. His outstretched right leg terminates as Cornwall. From the coast, at the junction of 'Hampshire' and 'Sussex', issues a blast of excrement inscribed 'British Declaration', which smites a swarm of 'Bum-Boats' extending from Ushant to the mouth of the Seine. The map is divided (inaccurately, and with omissions, but with a rough correctness) into counties, Wales representing the flying coat-tails of the King, who strides across the ocean with great vigour. 5 November 1793
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1793
- Dimensions
-
Height: 353 millimetres
-
Width: 250 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VII, 1942)
The first allusion to invasion, see BMSat 8432, &c. For similar maps see BMSats 8045, 8397, &c. For George III as John Bull cf. BMSats 6995, 8074.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
2001 Jun-Sep, London, Tate Britain, 'Gillray and the Art of Caricature'
2005 Jun-Sep, London, Tate Britain, 'A Picture of Britain'
2019 11 May-20 Jul, Pontefract Museum, Wakefield, The golden age of satire? Late-Georgian satirical prints
2019 27 Jul-6 Oct, Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire, The golden age of satire? Late-Georgian satirical prints
2019-2020 12 Oct-12 Jan, Beacon Museum, Whitehaven, The golden age of satire? Late-Georgian satirical prints
- Acquisition date
- 1851
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1851,0901.666