print; satirical print

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Object Type: print; satirical print
Museum number: J,7.42
Title: Object: The Connoisseur and Tired Boy
Description: Satire on connoisseurs: a man holds up a candle to examine a painted landscape in a heavy frame, which is held up for him by a yawning boy; the candle flame is shielded by the man's hand. 15 May 1776 Mezzotint with hand-colouring
Producer name: Published by: Sayer & Bennett
School/style: British
Production date: 1776
Production place: Published in: London (England)
Materials: paper
Technique: mezzotint; hand-coloured
Dimensions: Height: 353 millimetres; Width: 250 millimetres
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: See Richard Godfrey, 'English Caricature 1620 to the Present', V&A 1984, cat.59. Morland exhibited the painting on which this is based several times at the Free Society of Artists. In 1775 he published this description of it: 'An Italian Connoisseur and tired boy. The connoisseur is an admirer of no pictures but Italian, therefore his taste is greatly affronted on being shown a Dutch picture; nevertheless his attention is engaged by some effect he sees in the landscape - has forgotten the boy, who is tired with holding the picture in a heavy frame, which he is just ready to drop.'
Bibliographic references: BM Satires / Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum (4621); Sayer/Laurie & Whittle Posture Mezzotints / Catalogue of prints for the year 1775 (43); Chaloner Smith 1883 / British Mezzotinto portraits from the introduction of the art to the early part of the present century (undescribed) (but listed p. 1754)
Location: Not on display
Subjects: satire; antiquarian/connoisseur; servant/domestic worker
Acquisition name: Donated by: Dorothea, Lady Banks
Previous owner: Previous owner/ex-collection: Sarah Sophia Banks
Acquisition date: 1818
Department: Prints and Drawings
Registration number: J,7.42

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