print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.5007
- Title
- Object: The Robin Hood Society.
- Description
-
A meeting of this well-known debating society. The chairman, on the extreme right, leans over a rostrum looking down at the speaker, Jeffery Dunstan, who stands below him on a low three-legged stool, holding up his left hand in his wonted attitude, as if crying 'old wigs', knock-kneed, his sack over his left shoulder, with his ragged clothes, open shirt, ungartered stockings, and unlatched shoes, see BMSat 5637. The audience (left) sit or stand facing the chairman in tiers, one above the other. They are all caricatured, and of plebeian appearance, their expressions are either imbecile, sly, or saturnine. On the side of the rostrum is engraved, 'Q. to be Debat,d. next Thursday Eveg 'How Far is it from the Ist of Augt to the foot of Westminster Bridge.'
A panelled wall forms the background. In the centre of this is a framed portrait of Jeffery Dunstan, his right hand raised, wearing a civic chain, and holding a mace, the emblems of his mayoralty of Garrat. The frame is decorated with the arms of the City of London. 25 May 1783
Etching
- Production date
- 1783
- Dimensions
-
Height: 168 millimetres
-
Width: 219 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', V, 1935)
This debating society was for long a subject of ridicule, see BMSat 3260, 3539, and 4860, the common accusation being that the members were ignorant, atheistic, and factious tradesmen.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.5007
