- Museum number
- 1868,0808.6013
- Title
- Object: The Seige of Blenheim-or-the new system of Gunning, discoverd-
- Description
-
Miss Gunning sits astride a cannon directed against the façade of 'Blenheim'. Her mother (right) fires the cannon by putting her pen to the touch-hole; from its muzzle issue flames an letters inscribed : 'forged Love letter', 'Letter from Marq: of Blan[dford] written by myself', 'Letter written by my Daddy', 'Letter forged by my Mother', 'Letter forged by myself', 'Letters in Answer to my self''. In the central window in the portico of Blenheim are the bare posteriors of a figure emitting a bias excrement which strikes Miss Gunning, knocking her backwards, reaches Mrs. Gunning. The former, terrified, says, "O Mother! Mother! my mask'd Battery is discovered, & we shall be blown up! - O Mother, Mother, we must raise the Siege immediately, & take refuge under the Duchess's cover'd way, & there act on the defensive: O Mother: Mother, its all your fault, say what you will:" Mrs. Gunning says, her left hand raised in horror, "Good Heavens! who could have thought that the Seige of a Coronet would have ended in smoke & stink! - well I'll take my affidavit that I know nothing at all about the matter". An aged crone, the Duchess of Bedford, stands on the extreme right, raising her hooped petticoat to form a shelter; she says, "Come under my Protection, deary's I'll hide you in Bedfordshire; & find one of my little Granny-boys, to play with Missy". On the extreme left General Gunning, wearing regimentals, walks off, stooping furtively; he says, "I find our Stratagem wont take effect, & therefore I'll be off; & menœvre; - any common Soldier can lead on, to an attack, but it requires the skill of a General to bring off his forces with honor after a defeat - ". After the title is etched, 'dedicated to the Duke of A------ [Argyll]' and 'Vide - A bold stroke for a Husband' (a comedy by Mrs. Cowley, 1783). 5 March 1791
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1791
- Dimensions
-
Height: 265 millimetres
-
Width: 368 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938)
The first of many prints on the Gunning scandal, whose stages can be followed in Walpole's 'Letters' (vols. xiv and xv). Miss Gunning was supposed to be receiving addresses from the Marquis of Lorne (her cousin) and the Marquis of Blandford. General Gunning (brother of the two beautiful Gunnings) sent, he said, his groom to Blenheim, asking the Duke of Marlborough if his son's (Blandford's) proposed marriage to his daughter had his sanction. The groom brought back a favourable answer which proved to be a forgery. Miss Gunning was accused of forging love-letters and General Gunning turned his wife and daughter out of the house, when they were protected by the aged Duchess of Bedford, grandmother of Blandford. The explanation suggested was that Miss Gunning had invented the affair with Blandford in order to induce Lorne to propose. Letters and affidavits appeared in the newspapers and pamphlets were published. See BMSats 7951, 7981-6, 8163. This print is described by Walpole, who calls it 'a Grub print not void of humour'; he says 'old Gertrude' is 'very like'. 'Letters', xiv. 339-44.
Elizabeth Gunning (1769-1823) was a beautiful and accomplished girl, a novelist (from 1794) like her mother. 'D.N.B.'
Reprinted, 'G.W.G.', 1830.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.6013