"A country dance; eighteen couples in a strip design in the manner of the 'Long Minuet' (No. 7229), dance with awkward vigour; one of the most active ladies has a wooden leg. The first couple (left) face each other, the lady squinting violently. On the right a man turns eagerly from his elderly and offended partner to a young lady, whose partner also holds the hand of another lady, while an elderly man stands alone on the extreme right, holding his wig, and mopping his bald head. The elder men wear powdered hair with small pigtails, the younger ones have frizzed hair without powder, short or with small tails. Only one or two wear wigs. The women wear simple high-waisted gowns with elbow sleeves and long gloves; one wears a hat and long sleeves. All wear flat-heeled shoes, and have frizzed hair, short, or piled on the head; a few wear feathered bandeaux; one lady only has powdered hair. Some have strange hair ornaments: a fat and very decolletee lady with a lap-dog under her arm wears round her erect bush of hair a circlet from which project barbed zigzags, like lightning flashes. A youngish lady has on her head a bird with a barbed fang; an older one in spectacles wears a small windmill behind two drooping aigrettes. The neglected lady wears a tiny wheat-sheaf, her pretty rival a ship in full sail. Below the title: 'What an elegant Set-What a bustling of Rumps! What a Sweet Toe to Toe-ing of Slipers and Pumps! At the sight my Old Drumsticks are ready to Prance There is nothing I love so as seeing Folks Dance.'':--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from caption etched below image on third sheet., Artist's signature from impression in the British Museum., Four lines of verse below title: What an elegant set, what a bustling of rumps! What a sweet toe to toe-ing of slipers [sic] and pumps! ..., One continuous design on five plates., Description based on imperfect impression; sheets trimmed within plate mark and artist's signature erased from lower left corner of first sheet., and BAC: British Art Center copy is the Abbey copy. Untrimmed. Artist's signature visible on lower left corner of first sheet. Hand-colored.
Publisher:
Published Aug. 15, 1811, by Robinson, 5 Margaret Street, Cavindish Square & Calnaghi, Cockspur Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Topic):
Caricatures and cartoons, Social aspects, English wit and humor, Pictorial, Social life and customs, and Dance
