print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.7279
- Title
- Object: Achitophel, an old Jew Scribe lately turned Greek. Greeks Persians (stowed together) worshipping the rising sun
- Description
-
The title is spaced to indicate the persons depicted. In a room in Carlton House the 'Greeks', or Foxites, superintend the obeisance of the Persians' or Grenvilles before the 'rising Sun' of the Prince of Wales. On the extreme left. stands Thurlow ('Achitophel'), turning his back on the others with a morose frown. He is bearded, and wears old-fashioned dress with a tie-wig. In his pocket is a paper: 'Secret Advice to his R H No Respecter of Persons to invite Tag Rag & Bobtail to dine'. Next (l. to r.) stand Foxites: Norfolk, Windham, Fox (with a satisfied smile), and Sheridan who touches the shoulder of the kneeling Lord Grenville, saying, "lower my Lord". Next Grenville is the spectacled Marquis of Buckingham kneeling very low, and pressing down his son, Temple, who kneels immediately in front of the two brothers. Four others, all in back view (as are all the 'Persians' except Buckingham), and all with identical bag-wigs, kneel before the rays of a large sun. These rays are surmounted by the Prince's feathers and strike a solid mass of cloud above which are the (obscured) Royal Arms, supported on a motto: 'Auspicium [meli]oris Ævi'. The Unicorn looks down at the 'Greeks' with pained surprise, the Lion frowns with melancholy anger at the 'Persians'; one says "God save the King", the other "Long live the King". Through a large sash window (l.) is seen the screen of Carlton House, and beyond it a railing with the notice: 'Ruspini Dentist to his Royal [Hi]ghness the Prince of Wales.' 11 July 1804
Etching and aquatint
- Production date
- 1804
- Dimensions
-
Height: 300 millimetres
-
Width: 378 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VIII, 1947)
A satire on the prospects of a Regency and of a new Ministry of the Prince's friends, and on the prominent part taken by the Grenvilles in the 'Cabinet dinners' at Carlton House, see BMSat 10252, &c. Actually the third Grenville was not Temple, but his uncle Tom. Sheridan and Norfolk were not included; Thurlow was expressly excluded by the Prince since he 'possibly might be unpleasant to Lord Grenville'. Letter of Buckingham to Grenville, 30 May. 'H.M.C., Dropmore MSS.', vii. 224-6. Cf. Thurlow's position in the Regency crisis of 1788-9 (BMSat 7377, &c). 'Stowed together' is an allusion to Stowe, Buckingham's house, cf. BMSat 8641. The three Grenvilles have the broad posteriors for which they were noted, cf. BMSats 8659, 10530. The Foxites are Greeks, i.e. gamblers, cf. BMSat 8878. For the worship of the 'rising Sun', cf. BMSats 10253, 10530, 10702, &c.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.7279
