print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0822.7173
- Title
- Object: A second sight view of the blessings of radical reform. See page 418
- Description
-
Plate from the Satirist, iv. 417. Britannia lies on the ground while a ruffian stabs her to the heart; from the breast of his coat projects a paper: Hogan's . . . [see No. 11211]. Whitbread, full face, and Burdett apply firebrands to her skirt which the latter holds up; Folkestone presses forward from the right with a third firebrand. On the extreme right a demon with the head of Horne Tooke, naked and web-winged, with hoofs and barbed tail, bestrides a guillotine, holding out a bonnet rouge and shouting Caira! Caira! Bravo! Bravo. Behind him is dimly seen a row of corpses suspended from a row of gibbets receding in perspective. On the left a porcupine with the head of Cobbett advances towards Britannia's prostrate head, putting out a venomous tongue. Britannia's right hand rests on her broken spear; her shield lies broken behind her. On the extreme left lies her Lion, passive because Wardle is covering its eyes with letters addressed to Mrs Clarke. Above Britannia an eagle with the crowned head of Napoleon hovers menacingly.
1 May 1809
Etching and aquatint
- Production date
- 1809
- Dimensions
-
Height: 192 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', VIII, 1947)
A satire on Folkestone's motion of 17 Apr. 1809 for a Committee 'to enquire into the existence of any corrupt practices with regard to the disposal of offices in any department of the state . . . and . . . relative to the purchase and sale of commissions in the army'. The motion was too vague and sweeping to appeal to any but the left wing; 30 voted for it, Burdett was absent. This is correctly related to Wardle's attack on the Duke, see No. 11216, &c., which had inflamed the public, and was followed by moves for economical and parliamentary reform led by the Burdettites, supported by Cobbett and by radicals in the City and Westminster. See M. Roberts, The Whig Party, 1807-1812, 1939, pp. 197 ff. The murderer of Britannia is Peter Finnerty, see No. 11211, while Napoleon takes advantage of British factiousness. See also Nos. 10742, 11297, 11323, 11327, 11329, 11332, 11334, 11335, 11338, 11340, 11343, 11351, 11378. Cf. No. 10742, &c., and No. 11551.
Broadley, i. 298.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0822.7173