print; satirical print

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Object Type: print; satirical print
Museum number: 1868,0808.5446
Title: Object: Fox in the Block-Shop, or the Heads of the Propositions rejected
Description: A number of barber's blocks (for wigs) with human faces lie on the floor, where they are being overturned by a fox (Fox), who pushes over with his paw one of Pitt, inscribed 'Mr P'. He says, "Heavens! what a pretty little Figure! what a pity that it should want Brains". Behind him (right) is a counter on which stand two blocks, one, Thurlow, inscribed 'Woolsack', being the largest of all. Facing him is a man wearing a legal wig inscribed 'Teased'; he resembles Camden (supposed to have been induced to support Pitt by his son). Two blocks hang on a string from a nail, back to back in profile. The right, 'Chicken', is Michael Angelo Taylor (see BMSat 6777), the other is inscribed 'Hawk' (? Lord Hawke). The other blocks lie on the floor, overturned; they represent the leading Ministerialists but many cannot be identified with certainty. Next Pitt is Dundas, inscribed 'Mr D.' The others (left to right) are 'Ld M------n.' (Mahon); 'Ld W'; 'M. of G.' (Marquis of Graham); 'Ld M' (Mulgrave) ;'M of C' (Marquis of Carmarthen, his head entirely hidden); 'D of R' (Duke of Richmond); 'Mr S' (? Robert Smith, afterwards Lord Carrington, M.P. for Nottingham, cf. Wraxall 'Memoirs', 1884, iii. 399 ff. [Or Steele, Rose's colleague]); 'Ld G.' (head hidden, ? Lord Galloway); 'Sir L. K.' (Lloyd Kenyon, Master of the Rolls); 'Mr R.' (head hidden, ? George Rose [Dudley Ryder or Rolle would also possible, but the concealed head suggests the secret influence of the Treasury]); 'A.G' (Pepper Arden, the Attorney-General); 'Ld S.' (Lord Sydney); 'Ld H' (Lord Hood); 'S.G.' (face concealed, Archibald Macdonald, the Solicitor-General). In the background (left) is a door over which is a placard, 'Master Jenky, Block provider to his M-----y NB Wanted a fresh assortment of Blocks for immediate use'. 30 August 1785 Etching
Producer name: Print made by: William Dent; Published by: William Moore
School/style: British
Production date: 1785
Materials: paper
Technique: etching
Dimensions: Height: 249 millimetres; Width: 347 millimetres
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938) A satire on the Ministry, alleged to be puppets of Jenkinson, the tool of the Crown, cf. BMSat 6417, &c. Camden and Thurlow (cf. BMSat 6644) appear to escape overthrow by Fox. For the 'Propositions rejected' see BMSat 6809.
Bibliographic references: BM Satires / Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum (6810)
Location: Not on display
Subjects: satire
Associated names: Associated with: Richard Pepper Arden, 1st Baron of Alvanley; Associated with: Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden; Associated with: Francis Godolphin Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds; Associated with: Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville; Associated with: Charles James Fox; Associated with: George III, King of the United Kingdom; Associated with: John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway; Associated with: James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose; Associated with: Martin Bladen Hawke, 2nd Baron Hawke; Associated with: Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood; Associated with: Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool; Associated with: Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon; Associated with: Right Hon Sir Archibald Macdonald; Associated with: Constantine John Phipps, 2nd Baron Mulgrave; Associated with: William Pitt the Younger; Associated with: Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox; Associated with: Right Hon George Rose; Associated with: Robert John Smith, 2nd Baron Carrington; Associated with: Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl Stanhope; Associated with: Thomas Steele; Associated with: Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney; Associated with: Right Hon Michael Angelo Taylor; Associated with: Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow
Acquisition name: Purchased from: Edward Hawkins (estate of)
Acquisition date: 1868
Department: Prints and Drawings
Registration number: 1868,0808.5446

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