print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- J,4.44
- Title
- Object: The comet
- Description
-
A comet traverses the design diagonally and downwards ftotn right to left across an aquatinted background; the head is that of the Prince Wales in a star, the tail contains the heads of his disappointed followers. This broadens as it recedes from the head; immediately after the Prince is the head of Sheridan, with a gloomy expression. Behind him are Fox, with a melancholy smile, and Portland, looking angry. After them comes the wig in back view of Lord Loughborough (see BMSat 6796). Next come Stormont and (in 'profil perdu') North. They are followed by the Duke of Queensberry (one of the 'rats') holding up a quizzing-glass and Powys with his habitual melancholy scowl. Behind them are Lord Lothian (another 'rat'), Burke, with an angry frown, and the Duke of Norfolk. Between Norfolk and Queensberry is the 'profil perdu' of Derby. They are followed by Lord Sandwich, Bishop Watson of Llandaff, and Sir Grey Cooper. Next are two clerical wigs in back view identified by Miss Banks as Wilson, Bishop of Bristol, and Warren, Bishop of Bangor, while in the upper left corner of the print is the swarthy profile of Sawbridge. Beneath the title, and on the background which represents the sky, is etched: 'A Return of the Comet which appeared in 1761 [Above the final '1' of the date is a '2'.] is expected this Year and to be within our horizon from the month of Octr 1788 to Augt 1789 but is expected to be most -visible {if it forces itself upon our Notice) in the Winter months Febry & March ------ vide Dr Trusslers Almanack
By some of the ancient Astronomers Comets were deemed Meteors kindled in the Air and designed as Presages or unlucky Omens of some disastrous Catastrophe------
The Peripateticks deemed them not permament Bodies but bodies newly produced and in a short Time to perish again, and affirmed that they were made up of Exhalations in the terrestrial Regions------
Sr Isaac Newton asserts That the Tail of a Comet is nothing else than a fine Vapour which the Head of the Comet emits by its heat that Heat the Comet receives from the Sun and the magnitude of the Tail is always proportional to the degree of heat which the Comet receives, and Comets which are nearest to the Sun have the longest Tails------' 18 February 1789
Etching and aquatint
- Production date
- 1789
- Dimensions
-
Height: 231 millimetres
-
Width: 293 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938)
The King's recovery was announced to the House of Lords on 19 Feb., but on 17 Feb. Fox wrote from Bath, confident of the Regency, and supposing that Dr. Warren (the Whig doctor) had been frightened into giving favourable reports. Russell, 'Memorials and Correspondence of Fox', ii. 302. The Opposition had determined to take office, even if they held it only for twelve hours. Buckingham, 'Courts and Cabinets of George III', ii. 116. Cf. BMSat 7509.
This print was copied (in reverse) for the Regency of 1811: 'The Comet of 1811, Pubd Jany 1811, by T. Moon, Westminster'. The head of the Prince is unaltered. Lord Moira takes the first place in the tail, Sheridan the second. It has been attributed to Gillray, [In a collection in the possession of Messrs. Quaritch, May 1936.] and the heads do suggest his (failing) hand.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated names
-
Associated with: Edmund Burke
-
Associated with: Sir Grey Cooper
-
Associated with: Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby
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Associated with: Charles James Fox
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Associated with: George IV, King of the United Kingdom
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Associated with: William John Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian
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Associated with: Alexander Wedderburn, Ist Earl of Rosslyn
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Associated with: Sir Isaac Newton
-
Associated with: Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk
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Associated with: Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford
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Associated with: William, 3rd Duke of Portland
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Associated with: Thomas Powys, 1st Baron Lilford
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Associated with: William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry
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Associated with: John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
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Associated with: John Sawbridge
-
Associated with: Richard Brinsley Sheridan
-
Associated with: David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield
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Associated with: John Warren, Bishop of Bangor
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Associated with: Richard Watson, Bishop of Llandaff
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Associated with: Christopher Wilson, Bishop of Bristol
- Acquisition date
- 1818
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- J,4.44