print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- J,4.110
- Title
- Object: Rich-en-son grass, or making hay when the sun dont shine!!
- Description
-
Below the title: 'Dedicated to all Cultivators of Fiorin Grass in the United Kingdom'. An elderly but sturdy mower, with bare muscular legs, plies a scythe, standing in deep coarse grass. His profile registers grim determination; his bare and almost bald head is exposed to heavy slanting rain. He wears a belted waistcoat over a neat shirt; a medal dangles at his waist. In the foreground (left) many papers lie under a bare wind-swept tree: 'Hints on draining Lough Neagh'; 'Edinburg Review'; 'To Dr. Richard Clonfeckle London'; 'Denmark Treatise'; 'Giants Causeway'; 'Bath of [?] tar Hiplen'; 'Whin Dyke'; 'Reveuers Reveu'd'; 'Workington Curwen'; 'Letter for the Farmers Journal'. Behind him (left) a man and woman with rakes are well protected against the weather but are inactive, while another man watches, holding up an umbrella. A signpost (right) points to 'Clonfeckle' and 'Armagh'. In the background is a church, backed by hills, above which projects a second steeple.
c.1809
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1809
- Dimensions
-
Height: 240 millimetres
-
Width: 335 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VIII, 1947)
William Richardson, D.D. (1740-1820), rector of Moy and Clonfele, Co. Antrim, was a prolific writer, first on geological subjects, then on agriculture. From 1809 he wrote letters, articles, and pamphlets fervently praising Irish fiorin grass as a panacea for national poverty. He maintained that the best time for mowing it was from November to January. 'Gent. Mag.' lxxix. 133 f. (Feb. 1809). The expense of planting instead of sowing proved fatal. He published an 'Account of the Whynn Dykes in the neighbourhood of the Giant's Causeway . . .', 1802. J. C. Curwen of Workington Hall, M.P. Carlisle, was also a writer on agricultural subjects.
.................................
See E.C.Nelson, " A caricature of an Irish naturalist: Revd Dr William Richardson (1740-1820)", from 'Archives of Natural History', 27 (2000) pp.149-51 (an offprint is placed with the print). This publishes another version of this plate issued by J.Sidebotham. The publication line reads: ".. who cautions the public against the spurious copies of his original caricatures uniformly made & foisted upon them by McCleary of No.32 Nassau St in the most unjustifiable manner".
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1818
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- J,4.110