print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.4283
- Title
- Object: The S[tate] Puppitt Shew or the whole Play of King Solomon the Wife
- Description
-
Satire on the secret influence of Lord Bute after his resignation in April 1763 alluding to "Elvira", a play by Bute's supporter David Mallet first performed the previous January; the title of the play is lettered on a banner hanging from a trumpet blown by a man at the door on the left. Bute and the Devil draw back stage curtains to reveal five puppets representing the king, Princess Augusta, Henry Fox and two other gentlemen, one of whom may be intended for the Duke of Bedford. Bute declares, "Tho I am out its known for Certain / I prompt 'em still behind the Curtain"; the king says, "War is no more & Smiling Peace / Shall Taxes thro the Land encrease"; a monkey sits on the edge of the stage holding bagpipes. The audience of men and women complain about "the Shew"; among them is the Duke of Cumberland who declares, "The Shew I acted at Colledon [sic] was not so Bad to the Scotch as this is to me"; Stephens suggests that the man with a two-tailed wig saying, "I never shewed such stuff as this" may be intended for Samuel Foote. 1763
Etching and engraving
- Production date
- 1763
- Dimensions
-
Height: 173 millimetres
-
Width: 268 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- The print was announced in the Public Advertiser, 3 May 1763 and again on 3 May as "Sold at Sumpter's Political Print Warehouse / Price 6d."
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Battle of Culloden 1746
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.4283
