print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.7838
- Title
- Object: Amusement for the recess, or the devil to pay amongst the furniture.
- Description
-
Wardle, dressed as in No. 11346, is violently smashing furniture in Mrs. Clarke's house; he seizes a small chair and raises a bludgeon, which has already cracked a mirror over the chimney-piece, and broken the ornaments there. One foot is on a round mirror (the convex mirror of Wright's bill, see No. 11346); the other is on an open book: 'An Essay on keeping Bad Company'. The famous Turkey carpet is heaped against the fireplace. Furniture, fire-irons, candlestick, a guitar, are thrown in a heap. He exclaims: "D------m the Furniture—D------n the convex mirrors, and red Turkey Carpets—D—n Westbourne Place [see No. 11238] and every thing that belongs to it". Mrs. Clarke (right), alluring and impudent, leans slightly towards him saying, "Deary, these little gusts of Welch Passion become you extremely—the exercise will do you good besides it will increase your popularity".
Plate numbered 98.
18 July 1809.
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1809
- Dimensions
-
Height: 250 millimetres
-
Width: 345 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 No. 11341, &c. The action had damaged but not destroyed Wardle's reputation, but scarcely his popularity.
Grego, 'Rowlandson', ii. 161-2.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.7838
