print; satirical print

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Object Type: print; satirical print
Museum number: 1868,0808.13283
Title: Object: The political vomit for the ease of Britain
Description: Satire on the fall from power of Robert Walpole and the eagerness with which his opponents pick up offices. Walpole, in the centre, has been forced to take an emetic by means of a drenching horn held by a grinning Pulteney to the left; he vomits "Dr Lee", "West[minst]er", "Chip[p]enham" and "Convention" (the latter on the floor behind Pulteney) at the same time defecating into a close stool lettered "The Gulph of Secret Iniquity". The Earl of Winchilsea, who became First Lord of the Admiralty, stands behind him grimacing with an anchor hanging behind him. The Duke of Argyll, on the left, bends forward as he relieves himself of "Com[mis]s[io]ns for Men & New Regiments"; Samuel Sandys kneels beside a puddle of vomit lettered, "Private P[e]ns[io]ns", picking up a ribbon lettered "Ch[ancello]r of the E[xcheque]r" and two tally sticks; Lord Wilmington, crouch to pick up a ribbon lettered "First L[ord] of t[he] T[reasur]y", puddles around him are lettered "S[in]k[in]g F[u]nd", "Reversions" and "Ex[ci]se Scheme". To the right, behind the close stool, kneels Carteret, holding a ribbon lettered "What I can catch", his foot in a puddle of "Promises". Behind him the king stands in a puddle lettered "T[i]tl[e]s & R[i]b[a]nds" offering Walpole a ribbon lettered "E[arl] of O[rfor]d". In the left background a crowd of men stand in a doorway, saying "We come in now"; they include the Bishops of Lichfield and Lincoln. Etching
Producer name
School/style
Production date: 1742
Materials
Technique
Dimensions: Height: 226 millimetres; Width: 314 millimetres
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: Dr George Lee, M.P., was chairman of the committee of privileges and elections which found for the opposition candidates in the disputed elections of 1741 in Westminster and Chippenham, thus precipitating Walpole's downfall. In an annotation on 1868,0808.3718, Hawkins identified the figure on the right as Pulteney, but Stephens suggests convincingly that it is intended for George II. Stephens makes no suggestions as to the identity of the ddoctor with the drenchig horn or the man kneeling behind the close stool. The name is obviously false, but the artist remains unidentified.
Bibliographic references
Location: Not on display
Exhibition history: 2001 Mar-Aug, London, Soane Museum, Hogarth's Election Entertainment 2001/2 Oct- Jan, Newcastle, Laing Gallery, Hogarth's Election Entertainment 2018 7 Jul-29 Sep, Wiltshire, Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre, 'Little Bath - Life in Georgian Chippenham'
Subjects: satire; election; bribery/corruption; bodily function; medicine/health
Associated names: Representation of: Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford; Representation of: John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll; Representation of: Samuel Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of Ombersley; Representation of: William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath; Representation of: Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington; Representation of: Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea, 3rd Earl of Nottingham; Representation of: John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville; Representation of: George II, King of Great Britain; Representation of: Richard Smalbroke, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry; Representation of: Richard Reynolds, Bishop of Lincoln; Associated with: Sir George Lee
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1868
Department: Prints and Drawings
Registration number: 1868,0808.13283

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