"A man in ragged but quasi-fashionable dress rides (right to left) an ass through a river which flows past a steep mountain. The animal jibs, with ears set back; the rider raises a whip in each hand. He wears, and uses, three pairs of spurs, and attached to his shoulders and to the ass is a monstrous pile of bladders inscribed respectively 'Repartee', 'Nonsensical Verses', 'Catastrophe', 'Sentiment', 'Blasphemies', 'Puns', 'Duels', 'Double Entendres', 'Metaphors', 'Ghosts', 'Melting Speeches', 'Squibs', 'Dialogue', 'Daggers Poisons'."--British Museum online catalogue, description of the print engraved after this drawing and A rough pencil sketch of the same design but lacking much of the detail on the verso
Alternative Title:
Dramatic author foiled in his endeavor to ascend Parnassus
Description:
Title written below image, in the artist's hand., Unsigned; artist attribution from statement of responsiblity "Giles Grinagain in. et f." present on the print made after this drawing., Date surmised from that of the print based on this drawing., Giles Grinagain is possibly a pseudonym of Samuel Howitt. See British Museum online catalogue., and Original design for a print first published by S. Howitt in 1802 and then reissued by S.W. Fores in 1804. Changes in the printed version include the replacement of the word "endeavor" in the title with "attempt," and the elimination of the speech bubble emanating from the man. Cf. No. 10334 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum, v. 8.
