The bruiser triumphant a farce. [graphic]

"Satire on Hogarth's attack on Charles Churchill, "The Bruiser" (Paulson 215). Hogarth, his upper body an ass and the lower part a lion, sits on a three-legged stool on a dais with a painting of "The Bruiser" attached to a ladder as if to an easel; his dog sits at the foot of the ladder. Hogarth has a large boot (alluding to his allegiance to Bute) on his right leg, a bottle of aqua fortis hanging from one ear, a palette lettered "Line of Booty" slung around his neck, an apron into which is tucked a palette knife, a burin tied to his right front leg and a paint brush tucked into its cloven hoof; a "Smush pot" is falling down the steps of the dais spilling its contents on to a sheet labelled "Patirotism". A satyr standing on the ladder holds a notice reading, "Ha! Ha! Ha! said Old Will Now You shall see ye boasted Work of all the Antient & Modern painters, Your Raphael, Rubens, Carrach Outdone! I'll shew you a Picture done by Myself! A Picture Indeed! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!/What the Devil had he to do with the more Sublime Branch of Painting or vile Politicks, whose Talent consisted in low Humour? Ne Sutor ultra Crepidam." Hogarth turns back snarling at Wilkes and Churchill who stand behind him, the former holding a pair of horns, labelled "Horn Fair". Churchill, in clerical dress, writes with a large quill in a book, "The Life and Opinions of Willm. Hogass the Pannell Painter and his last dying Speech and Conf" and sheet hangs below the book which reads, "Since Willie has shown us the Dog & the Bear./Who scruples to own but They're much on a par?/The Bear has been baited & terribly bangd,/ And the Dog when his day comes deserves to be H-gd." Behind these two hangs a curtain on which is lettered in reference to Hogarth's Sigismonda, "This Curtain Hangs Here to preserve from Vulgar Eyes the Beauty of the inestimable Picture representing a Harlot blubbering over a Bullock's Heart; Painted by Willm. Hog-Ass, at the Golden Blockhead in Lie[...]er Fields."--British Museum online catalogue