"A satire on Drury Lane Theatre. The Board consists of three men at a table, almost covered by four large dishes, each containing an article of food with a portrait head. On the farther side sits Sheridan, ladling guineas towards his grinning and avid mouth. Facing him is Tom Sheridan, identified by a pamphlet, 'Caractacus', in his coat-pocket, and, opposite him, the President of the Board, .... These two turn towards the foremost of a number of hungry dogs with human heads; the latter beckons to him, while Tom feeds him with a cheque or note of 100£. Another dog, its collar inscribed 'John Bull' [1803], showing that he is Colman, turns away, but looks distrustfully over his shoulder at the pair. There are six others. T. Sheridan draws furtively from the pocket in the tail of his coat a purse, for which a (normal) dog begs, seated on an open book, 'The World' [first played at Drury Lane 31 Mar. 1808], showing that he is James Kenney. Beside the book are scattered papers inscribed 'Rejected Plays &c.', at which two dogs with human heads sniff and paw. One has a collar inscribed 'Carlo' [from 'The Caravan', see No. 10172, &c.], and is probably F. Reynolds. A man, resembling Wroughton in No. 11079, approaches the table, a napkin under his arm, carrying a large tureen inscribed 'Water Grue and containing plays: 'World!' [Kenney], 'Siege of St Quintin' [by T. Hook, first played Drury Lane 10 Nov. 1808], 'Travellers' [by Andrew Cherry, music by Corri, first played Drury Lane, 14 Jan. 1806], 'Venoni' ['or, The Novice of St. Mark's'] (by M. G. Lewis, first played Drury Lane, 1 Dec. 1808). The dishes on the table are 'Toad in a Hole, Turtle, Calfs Head Surprse [sic]', and 'Barbicued Pig'. Under the table (right) is a pile of papers, or books in shadow at which mice or rats are nibbling. These are the neglected classics, and are inscribed 'Jonson', 'Shakesp . . .', 'Beaumont and Fletch . . .' The room is panelled."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker identified as De Wilde in the British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Plate from: The Satirist., and Mounted to 27 x 41 cm.
Publisher:
Published for the Satirist Feby. 1st, 1809, by S. Tipper, 37 Leadenhall Street
Subject (Name):
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (London, England), Arnold, Samuel James, 1774-1852, Colman, George, 1762-1836, Cherry, A. 1762-1812 (Andrew),, Dimond, William, active 1780-1837, Hook, Theodore Edward, 1788-1841, Kenney, James, 1780-1849, Lewis, Matthew Gregory, 1775-1818, Reynolds, Frederick, 1764-1841, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Sheridan, Thomas, 1775-1817, and Wroughton, Richard, 1748-1822
Subject (Topic):
Dogs, Dramatists, Eating & drinking, Interiors, and Taverns (Inns)
"John Palmer (left), striding across a miniature circular tower surrounded by a moat, falls back under the attacks of two men on the other side of the moat. He wears pseudo-Elizabethan dress, with a cloak; his feathered hat falls off. On his arm, in place of a shield, is a document inscribed 'Licence . . . Wild-moat'; he drops from his right hand a paper inscribed 'Tower Privilege'. Cornwallis, saying, "I am down again". Miniature cannon are firing from the tower. Facing him, one foot on an upturned tub inscribed 'For the Use of Cov: Gar. Wardrobe', is a man wearing nightcap, dressing-gown, and slippers, with an apron, who is about to hurl a bar inscribed 'Castile Soap', saying, "I am a Gentleman, you Vagabond"; on his left arm, in place of a shield, is a paper inscribed 'An Act for regulating the Stage'. He is probably George Colman. Beside him, his left arm in a sling, a young man (? Colman the younger) discharges at Palmer a blast from a pistol inscribed 'Breach of Articles'. Three spectators stand close together on the right, saying, "Mr Palmer, we must oppose: we told you so at Christmas!" They are Sheridan and probably his partners, Linley and Dr. Ford. In the background (right) is a building inscribed 'Circus', in front of which a man stands on one toe on the back of a galloping horse, while a monkey stands on its head on the back of a pig; the pig's saddle is inscribed 'Jacko'; from its mouth issues 'ABC', representing Astley's, General Jacko, and the Learned Pig (see BMSat 6715, &c); a scroll issuing in a curve from Astley and Jacko is inscribed 'We shall all Play'. In the moat are frogs and the bodies of two tiny women, Tragedy and Comedy, one holding a cup and dagger, the other a mask."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Series title etched in upper right corner of plate. For another print in the series, see No. 7171 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 6., Sheet trimmed to plate mark on one side., and Temporary local subject terms: Male costume: Pseudo-Elizabethan -- Male costume: night clothes -- Unlicensed theatres: Royalty Theatre -- Allusion to Covent Garden -- Learned pigs -- Castile soap -- Lighting: rushlights -- Slings -- Body of Tragedy -- Body of Comedy -- Moats -- Guns: Pistols -- Miniature cannons -- Stage properties: tub -- Horace Walpole refers to print -- Towers -- Circuses: Astley's Circus -- Performing monkies: General Jacko.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 30, 1787, by S.W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Palmer, John, 1742?-1798, Astley, Philip, 1742-1814., Cornwallis, Charles Cornwallis, Marquis, 1738-1805., Colman, George, 1732-1794, Colman, George, 1762-1836, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Linley, Thomas, 1733-1795, and Ford, Edward, 1746-1809
