"A fantastic theatre scene, showing stage, orchestra, and two boxes on each side of the stage. On the stage the fall of Amsterdam is represented by a number of frogs (burghers) who hasten obsequiously to submit to the Stadholder. William V, much caricatured as a short fat man wearing military dress with plumed helmet, gorget, and jack-boots, stands with an uplifted sabre, dripping blood, about to cut the throat of a frog, who kneels, holding out a purse in each hand. His sabre is inscribed 'W. de V'; he straddles across the decapitated heads and limbs of his frog-subjects; under his left foot is a standard decorated with three storks. A mutilated frog jumps from the stage into the orchestra from which rise the flames of Hell. Other frogs disappear into the flames, where demons act as musicians; one plays a gridiron with a pitchfork, two others sing. Dominating these musicians is the half length figure of a lean military officer playing the flute, in gauntlet gloves, his eyes fixed on the stage. The frogs who hasten towards the Stadholder have expressions of terror and are dressed as Dutchmen. One proffers a large key inscribed 'Stadt House', another a pail of 'Milk', another a beehive, another a cask of 'Butter', another a keg of 'Holland Gin'. Behind William V the Princess of Orange (left) stands with her hands on her hips, smiling coquettishly over her shoulder at her husband, the word 'Kiss' issuing from her mouth. Suppliant frogs fawn upon her. The background of this scene is a city wall (right) (Amsterdam) and clouds (left), across which straddles a grotesque figure of Fame blowing two trumpets. Above the proscenium the words 'Sic transit Gloria Mundi' replace the customary 'Veluti in Speculum'. ... "--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Last scene of the republican pantomine
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Later state of a plate originally issued with the title: The surrender of Amsterdam, or, The Duke of Brunswick in a bustle. Other changes include the addition of crosshatching, the replacement of the Duke of Brunswick's head with that of William of Orange, and the addition of an inscription on the sabre., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., Temporary local subject terms: Dutch Patriot Party, 1787 -- Flag of the Dutch Patriot Party -- Demon musicians -- Personification: Fame blowing two trumpets -- Mottoes: Sic transit gloria mundi -- Emblem: Storks for Holland -- French interest: defeated at Amsterdam -- Club of British Oak -- Sabres -- Purses -- Fools cap: Hapsburg eagle -- Snuff boxes -- Stags -- Arms -- Flames of hell -- Cask of gin: Holland -- Pail of milk -- Cask of butter -- beehives -- Stadthouse keys -- Horace Walpole refers to subject -- Harem of veiled women -- Fredericka Sophia Wilhemina, Princess of Orange, 1751-1820., 1 print : etching with stipple on wove paper ; sheet 33.6 x 45.4 cm., Sheet trimmed within plate mark on two edges., and Mounted on leaf 20 of volume 2 of 12.
Publisher:
Pubd. Novr. 1st, 1787, by S.W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, William V, Prince of Orange, 1748-1806, Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793, Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786, Abdülhamid I, Sultan of the Turks, 1725-1789, Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796, and Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, 1741-1790
"A fantastic theatre scene, showing stage, orchestra, and two boxes on each side of the stage. On the stage the fall of Amsterdam is represented by a number of frogs (burghers) who hasten obsequiously to submit to the Stadholder. William V, much caricatured as a short fat man wearing military dress with plumed helmet, gorget, and jack-boots, stands with an uplifted sabre, dripping blood, about to cut the throat of a frog, who kneels, holding out a purse in each hand. His sabre is inscribed 'W. de V'; he straddles across the decapitated heads and limbs of his frog-subjects; under his left foot is a standard decorated with three storks. A mutilated frog jumps from the stage into the orchestra from which rise the flames of Hell. Other frogs disappear into the flames, where demons act as musicians; one plays a gridiron with a pitchfork, two others sing. Dominating these musicians is the half length figure of a lean military officer playing the flute, in gauntlet gloves, his eyes fixed on the stage. The frogs who hasten towards the Stadholder have expressions of terror and are dressed as Dutchmen. One proffers a large key inscribed 'Stadt House', another a pail of 'Milk', another a beehive, another a cask of 'Butter', another a keg of 'Holland Gin'. Behind William V the Princess of Orange (left) stands with her hands on her hips, smiling coquettishly over her shoulder at her husband, the word 'Kiss' issuing from her mouth. Suppliant frogs fawn upon her. The background of this scene is a city wall (right) (Amsterdam) and clouds (left), across which straddles a grotesque figure of Fame blowing two trumpets. Above the proscenium the words 'Sic transit Gloria Mundi' replace the customary 'Veluti in Speculum'. ... "--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Last scene of the republican pantomine
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Later state of a plate originally issued with the title: The surrender of Amsterdam, or, The Duke of Brunswick in a bustle. Other changes include the addition of crosshatching, the replacement of the Duke of Brunswick's head with that of William of Orange, and the addition of an inscription on the sabre., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: Dutch Patriot Party, 1787 -- Flag of the Dutch Patriot Party -- Demon musicians -- Personification: Fame blowing two trumpets -- Mottoes: Sic transit gloria mundi -- Emblem: Storks for Holland -- French interest: defeated at Amsterdam -- Club of British Oak -- Sabres -- Purses -- Fools cap: Hapsburg eagle -- Snuff boxes -- Stags -- Arms -- Flames of hell -- Cask of gin: Holland -- Pail of milk -- Cask of butter -- beehives -- Stadthouse keys -- Horace Walpole refers to subject -- Harem of veiled women -- Fredericka Sophia Wilhemina, Princess of Orange, 1751-1820.
Publisher:
Pubd. Novr. 1st, 1787, by S.W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, William V, Prince of Orange, 1748-1806, Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793, Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786, Abdülhamid I, Sultan of the Turks, 1725-1789, Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796, and Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, 1741-1790
"One of a set of four, and a companion print to British Museum Satires No. 7177. A party of unsoldierly Dutch ragamuffins practises firing at the figure of a Prussian soldier (right) chalked on a high stone wall. They stand on the brink of a ditch close to the wall and are commanded by a man in civilian dress holding a pike, evidently a member of a Free Corps, who is directing the military training of the others. One man stands up to his knees in water; frogs are climbing up him. Other frogs stand on the bank holding weapons. A crowd of ruffians (left) watch the firing, some have muskets, one a blunderbuss, one blows a trumpet, another waves his hat; all exult at the success of their arms against the symbol of the Prussian army, at which a dog barks and ducks quack. The high stone wall has a ruinous gap which is filled with a windmill."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from item., DeGrey's ms. note on verso., and Watermark with initials R G below.
Publisher:
Publish'd Octr. 18th, 1787 by T. Harmar, No. 164 (opposite Bond Street) Piccadilly, London
Subject (Geographic):
Netherlands
Subject (Topic):
Foreign public opinion, Great Britain, Ethnic Stereotypes, Crowds, Weapons, Firearms, Frogs, Trumpets, Pipes (Smoking), and Military training
