print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1865,0610.1108
- Title
- Object: The anatomist overtaken by the watch in carrying off Miss W-ts in a hamper
- Description
-
A lean man (r.) wearing a doctor's tie-wig, is running from left. to right. to escape from a watchman who stands (l.) springing his rightattle. On the ground is a basket or hamper, the lid of which has fallen open to show the body of a young woman in a shroud. A short irate man (centre) points at the escaping figure, turning towards the lean aged watchman, who holds in his left hand a large lantern, and a tall stick, whose head is carved to represent a head. In the watchman's hat, which is tied on with a scarf, is a tobacco pipe in full blast. The fleeing Anatomist holds a tall cane in his left hand; under his left. arm is a dilapidated skull. He has dropped a paper inscribed "Hunter's Lectur[es]", showing that he is Dr. William Hunter (1718-83), the great anatomist. He built a house (1770) in Great Windmill Street to which were attached a dissecting room, lecture room, and a large museum, see BMSat 6128. The caricature deals with the body-snatching for the sale of corpses to surgeons, which went on to a considerable extent in this period. Reproduced, 'Social England', ed. Traill, 1904, v, p. 573. 1 May 1773
Etching
- Production date
- 1773
- Dimensions
-
Height: 270 millimetres
-
Width: 398 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', V, 1935)
The "ts", in the title, has been added in ink, but is engraved in another impression.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1865
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1865,0610.1108
