A gallows separates the design into two compartments. A sign in the center reads "Roberspierre, Marat, Santerre." The crossbar reads "Held up to infamy and posterity." Another sign hangs from the left arm and reads "Paine's Rights of Man." The sign on the right side reads "Classical lectures on the Roman History.", The scene on the left half is labelled at the top "Old England" and depicts naval and commercial prosperity under the bright skies. Three columns labelled Virtue, Honor and Loyalty stand over the words British Constitution; at the base of the drawing are the words "is basis, the happiness of the people.", and The scene on the right half is labelled at the top "New France", and in contrast, all is death and destruction: cities in ruins, bodies hanging from gallows, a bloody guillotine along with other instruments of torture. Flowing from the guillotine into a shaft underground are discarded fragments: religion, pubk. credit, monarchy, laws, trade, honor, loyality, virtue, art ...
Alternative Title:
Things as they are
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., On verso: offset impression of Opening of the budget, or, John Bull giving his breeches to save his bacon / James Gillary. Cf. 796.11.17.01+., and Mounted to 45 x 64 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. Novr. 12th, 1796, by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
France
Subject (Name):
Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809.
Subject (Topic):
Democracy, Gallows, Guillotines (Punishment), Liberty cap, Revolutions, French, Ruins, Ships, and History
