print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1935,0522.13.120
- Title
-
Object: The modern Hercules destroying the Hydra of Fanaticism
-
Object: [Dr. Carlyle]
- Description
-
Design in an oval. Dr. Alexander Carlyle stands (right) raising a huge club in both hands and turning his head in profile to the left towards a beast whose many heads turn in profile towards their enemy. They are portraits of: Professor Dalzell of Edinburgh University, who is uppermost; below him is Dr. John Erskine, minister of Old Greyfriars Church; to the right are Dr. Andrew Hunter of the Tron Kirk, who admonishes Carlyle with a raised forefinger, and Hon. Henry Erskine, Advocate. Portions of the backs of two other heads are visible; Kay intended these, and an invisible third, to represent three ministers: Colin Campbell of Renfrew, Burns of Forgan, and Dr. Balfour of Glasgow. Carlyle wears a long gown and bands over closely fitting clothes which define his well-formed figure. 1789
Etching
- Production date
- 1789
- Dimensions
-
Height: 182 millimetres
-
Width: 137 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938)
Carlyle, Minister of Inveresk near Edinburgh, was the exponent of liberal views in opposition to the stricter presbyterians; in politics he was a tory. In 1789 he was a candidate for the principal clerkship to the General Assembly, and was bitterly opposed by the old presbyterian party; he was at first successful, but the result of a scrutiny threatened to be unfavourable and he withdrew; he had roused hostility by an address stating that it had ever been his object to correct and abate the fanatical spirit of his country. Carlyle, 'Autobiography', 1860, pp. 557-8.
See BMSat 7579.
'Collection', No. 120; Kay, No. XXX.
[Supplementary information]
From an album of Kay's work in BM P&D, apparently assembled by himself, with manuscript notes: see 1935,0522.13.1
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1935
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1935,0522.13.120