print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.6060
- Title
- Object: Ducking a pickpocket
- Description
-
Fox (with Sheridan and John Bull) (right) kneels by a pond holding Pitt by the hair in the water, saying, "I'll make you Remember Picking the peoples Pockets, Damn you, why dont you Say your Prayers - ". Pitt, very thin and grotesquely caricatured, lies on his back in the pond, kicking and screaming; he cries: "for heavens Sake have pity on a poor Unfortunate Man." Sheridan stands behind Fox urinating upon Pitt's face; he says, "Poor fellow . . . [&c. &c.]". On the extreme left stands John Bull, full face; he touches Fox on the shoulder with his right hand, saying, "Finish him Charley, or he will finish us before he has done with us, Poor Johnny is Almost Strip 'd Naked, by him and his Crew Already". His clothes and the brim of his hat are pitted with holes. In the background (right) men and women, citizens and artisans, wave their hats and caper ecstatically at Pitt's plight. A man wearing an apron says: "Huzza Huzza Drown him at once & then we shall get Rid of a Curse." 1794 or later
Etching
- Production date
- 1797-1806
- Dimensions
-
Height: 250 millimetres
-
Width: 354 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 fear of taxation had much to do with the opposition to the Russian Armament, see BMSat 7841, &c. But the country was prosperous: Storer writes to Auckland, 6 May 1791: 'Our taxes . . . have proved this year beyond example productive.' 'Auckland Corr.' ii. 389. For the burden of taxes cf. BMSat 6914, &c.
......................................................................
Dorothy George placed this print under 1791 on the basis of an old pencil annotation, but noted that Roberts only began to publish in 1794. In fact he was in business only from 1801-06. This print was originally published by Potsley in 1797. The original publication line read, "May 29 1797, Pubd by J Potsley" (Information from Andrew Norton,14 March 2008).
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.6060
