print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.7366
- Title
- Object: The Catholic petitioners, recieving the papal benediction.
- Description
-
The Pope has descended from his dais (r.) to bless the Petitioners; his cross rests against his shoulder, and both hands are extended, a ring on each forefinger. Behind the Pope, standing on tiptoe on the Papal robe, is Napoleon, dressed as at his coronation, wearing his crown and holding his sceptre. He puts his hand on the Pope's shoulder and says: "Thank them for pleading our cause and particularly for their assertion that the rightoman Catholic Religion is totally altered, make the people believe that, and we'll soon give them the second part of Fox's book of Martyrs." At the head of the petitioners kneels Fox, saying, "Bad luck now, better next time please your Holiness." The Pope says: "Bless you all my Children, for the great good you intended us, but it is not in Mortals, to command success, My Master here, will be very much disappointed". Behind Fox, Norfolk and Sheridan kneel side by side. Next are Derby, in hunting-dress, bending his head, and Moira in regimentals, very erect. Behind them and on the extreme left. Grattan stands, bending forward to swing a censer over the heads of the kneeling men. 27 May 1805
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1805
- Dimensions
-
Height: 244 millimetres
-
Width: 349 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VIII, 1947)
See BMSat 10404, &c. For the Pope as Napoleon's tool cf. BMSat 10362; the Catholic petition is represented as a device of the supposedly pro-French Opposition. 'Fox's Martyrs' may connote not only persecution of Protestants, but, as in 1784, the Foxites who suffer from the political mistakes of their leader, see BMSat 6657.
Broadley, i. 230.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.7366
