print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.8117
- Title
- Object: Iohn Bull bringing Bony's nose to the grindstone
- Description
-
The Tsar (left) turns the handle of a grindstone against which John Bull (right), a fat 'cit', larger in scale than the other figures, presses Napoleon's bleeding nose, his right hand on the Emperor's head, while he holds him up by the right boot. Bernadotte stands on John's right, highly delighted. Behind (right) stands a Prussian Death's Head hussar, intended for Frederick William, with the Austrian Emperor looking over his shoulder. Behind the Tsar stands a fat Dutchman with a large orange favour in his cap, smoking a curved pipe with a curved bowl (in place of the usual short clay pipe). John says: "Aye—Aye—Master Boney—I thaught I should bring You to it one of those days, You have carryed on the trade of Grinding long enough to the Anoyance Of your Opressed Neighbours—One good turn deserves another —Give him a Turn Brother Alexd—and let us see how he—likes a Taste." Alexander, Francis, and Bernadotte wear plumed bicornes like that of Napoleon (which falls off) but with one feather instead of two. All are burlesqued.
21 March 1814
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1814
- Dimensions
-
Height: 247 millimetres
-
Width: 341 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949)
The plate was published after a week of good news, following news of the British reverse, 9 Mar., at Bergen-op-Zoom ('Gazette Extraordinary', 14 Mar.): Blücher's success at Laon on 9 Mar. (ibid., 18 Mar.), Wellington's victory at Orthez on 27 Feb. (ibid., 20 Mar.).
Broadley, i. 348, 349 (reproduction). De Vinck, No. 8908.
(For description see other impression)
George suggests that this print was published by Tegg, but Andrew Norton notes that it was a privately issued plate by Elmes and that there is no evidence that it was ever published by Tegg (correspondence 19 February 2008).
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.8117
