print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.4118
- Title
- Object: The Auction Room or Lewis Le Petit a Bankrupt
- Description
-
Satire on the French financial difficulties after military and naval disasters of the year 1759 showing Henry Legge, Chancellor of the Exchequer, conducting an auction of the French army, Flemish towns formerly held by France, the invasion fleet, ships blockaded in Brest harbour, the sugar imports of Guadaloupe, funds in the bank in Amsterdam, timber and other goods held in the ports of Antibes, Le Havre, etc.; there is also mention of "alimentary powder" and "bottles of Eau de Luce" (smelling salts), referring to Lord George Sackville's inadequacy at Minden; "G. R." (George II) and "W.P." (William Pitt) are named as assignees of the bankrupt estate of Louis XV. Among the crowd bidding are Sackville, keen to make up for what he lost at Minden and to revive "drooping spirits" with Eau de Luce, Thomas Chitty, Lord Mayor of London (who says that the French flat-bottomed boats will "serve for a temporary Bridge at Black Friars"), Frederick of Prussia offering a dollar for the Flemish towns assuming that they will fall to him in due course, a surgeon wanting to anatomise the French general, Empress Maria Theresa who wants to take the French troops to reinforce her own, a Frenchman who contests for the smelling salts, and a Dutchman wanting the French sailors in order to "oppose the English". 1759
Etching
- Production date
- 1759
- Dimensions
-
Height: 194 millimetres (image)
-
Height: 237 millimetres (trimmed?)
-
Width: 335 millimetres (image)
-
Width: 338 millimetres (trimmed?)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Stephens noted, following Hawkins's inscription, that the print was published by Dicey & Co., but an impression in the Library of Congress carries the following publication line: "Publish'd according to Act of Parliament Novr 19th 1759 by Wm Hammell, under the Royal Exchange. Price Plain 6d. Colour'd 1s.". Dicey may have acquired the plate later, see also BM Satires 3694)
The style suggests the work of John June.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Seven Years War 1756-1763
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.4118
