print;
satirical print;
broadside
- Museum number
- G,6.4
- Title
- Object: Doctor Rock's Political Speech to the Mob in Covent-Garden
- Description
-
A broadside satire on the quack Richard Rock shown standing on the foot board of his chaise in Covent Garden; the horse, somewhat cross-eyed, standing quietly. He is finely dressed and holds a cup in one hand. His medicine chest stands open behind him, and his hat hangs inside the hood of the chaise. To the right of the chaise is a hunchbacked (?) man, possibly Rock's assistant, or toady, under whose arm is a package of books lettered "Dr. Rock 52 ways f[ro]m Ratlife" . Among the the crowd gathered around Rock are, on the left, two soldiers, one with a sword and wearing spatterdashes who may be intended as a blind man, has his hand on the shoulder of a bald man who holds his hat in his hand, gazing distractedly at Rock; behind Rock is a man apparently on horseback; on the right, a pregnant gin seller who has a large open basket slung from her waist in which are glasses and wicker bottles, the basket is lettered "S[an]d[y]'s Public spirit" (a reference to the recent Act of Parliament relaxing the law against gin), a another poorly clad woman with a large fish (?) basket resting against her leg, and a man offering a coin to Rock. To the right of the chaise can be seen the pillar with a sun-dial and globe which stood in Covent Garden market. Below, letterpress text satirising Rock with allusions to contemporary political affairs, including a probable reference to George II's frequent visits to Hanover, described as "an itch for Rambling".
Etching and engraving with letterpress
- Production date
- 1743
- Dimensions
-
Height: 171 millimetres
-
Height: 377 millimetres
-
Width: 297 millimetres (image)
-
Width: 291 millimetres (sheet)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- The figures in the foreground bear a resemblance to those in Bouchardon's Cris de Paris, see 1857,0613.673-732.
For a note on Crowle's extra-illustrated Pennant see G,1.1
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1811
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- G,6.4
