"Ritson stands at a desk in profile to the Ieft, writing in a large book, both pages headed 'Common Place'. His finger- and toe-nails are talons; he dips his pen in an ink-stand inscribed 'Gall', and has written: 'Moses an Impostor the prophets old Cloaths Men of Judæa Warburton a fool Dr Percy a Liar Warton an infamous Liar a pipeer [Ritson adopted a system of spelling chiefly characterized by a duplication of the letter e. 'D.N.B.'] better than a parson'. He wears a tightly buttoned overcoat and a top-hat; his toes project through broken shoes. From his pocket projects a pamphlet: 'The Atheist's pocket Companion.' He stands on a slab of (damaged) papers headed 'Dr Percy's Antient Balla[ds]'. his feet is a large open book; on one page is a half length portrait of Thomas Warton stabbed through with a knife and fork; on the other, 'History of English Poetry'. The room is filled with heavy folio volumes and vegetable products; there is a small window with cracked panes. A cow (head only visible) munches at a basket of large leaves beside a paper: 'Bill of Fare \ Nettle Soup \ Sour Crout \ Horse Beans \ Onions Leeks'. On a top shelf an emaciated cat, heavily chained, strains in vain towards two rats who nibble a bunch of candles; beside it is an open book: 'Abstinence from animal Food a moral duty'. Below, 'The Bible' slants across a gap in the book-shelf labelled 'Old Romances'. On Ritson's desk (left) is a pile of books on which squats a frog; on it vegetables are heaped."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Impiger iracundus, inexorabilis acer
Description:
Title from British Museum catalogue., Signed with the initials of James Sayers., One line of Latin verse below image: Impiger iracundus, inexorabilis acer [Horace, Ars Poetica]., One line of Greek text below Latin verse., Four lines of English text above imprint: Fierce meagre pale no commentator's friend. Purs. Lit. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the Earth ..., Temporary local subject terms: Ink well -- 'Common Place' -- Iron gall ink., 1 print : etching and aquatint on wove paper ; plate mark 26.6 x 20.5 cm, on sheet 28.3 x 21.3 cm., and Mounted on leaf 80 of James Sayers's Folio album of 144 caricatures.
Publisher:
Published by H. Humphrey
Subject (Name):
Ritson, Joseph, 1752-1803
Subject (Topic):
Desks, Writing materials, Books, Vegetables, Cows, Cats, Rats, Frogs, Vegetarians, and British
Full length caricature of Lord Amherst wearing sash and sword, in profile to the left
Description:
Title from British Museum catalogue., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., 1 print : etching and drypoint on wove paper ; plate mark 17.6 x 11.3 cm, on sheet 19.5 x 13 cm., Mounted with three other prints on leaf 9 of James Sayers's Folio album of 144 caricatures., and The figure in the print is identified by a small strip of paper (approximately 5 x 35 mm) pasted in lower left corner of sheet with their name in letterpress: Lord Amherst.
Full length profile portrait of Sir Fletcher Norton, Baron Grantley, facing left and wearing a sword, his right hand inside a long coat, his left under the coat-tail
Description:
Title from variant state in the British Museum catalogue., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Variant state, without plate number "XVIII" in upper left corner. Cf. No. 6071 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 5., Mounted with three other prints on leaf 10 of James Sayers's Folio album of 144 caricatures., and The figure in the print is identified by a small strip of paper (approximately 5 x 35 mm) pasted in lower left corner of sheet with their name in letterpress: Lord Grantley.
Full length profile portrait of Sir Fletcher Norton, Baron Grantley, facing left and wearing a sword, his right hand inside a long coat, his left under the coat-tail
Description:
Title from variant state in the British Museum catalogue., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Variant state, without plate number "XVIII" in upper left corner. Cf. No. 6071 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 5., and Mounted on page 17 with three other prints.
Full length portrait of Lord John Cavendish, facing right, a hat held in his upraised left hand and a document held in his right
Description:
Title from British Museum catalogue., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., 1 print : etching with drypoint on wove paper ; plate mark 17.5 x 11.2 cm, on sheet 19.7 x 13.3 cm., Mounted with three other prints on leaf 5 of James Sayers's Folio album of 144 caricatures., and The figure in the print is identified by a small strip of paper (approximately 5 x 35 mm) pasted in lower left corner of sheet with their name in letterpress: Lord John Cavendish.
Publisher:
Published 3d July 1782 by C. Bretherton
Subject (Geographic):
England and England.
Subject (Name):
Cavendish, John, Lord, 1732-1796
Subject (Topic):
Clothing & dress, Public speaking, and Politicians
Portrait of Charles Stanhope (Lord Mahon) in profile to the right, leaning forward and gesturing with his right arm. He holds his hat and cane in his left hand
Description:
Title from British Museum catalogue., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., and Probable a later issue, with the number 'XIX' not visible in upper left of plate. Cf. No. 6072 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 5.
Publisher:
Published 17 June 1782 by C. Bretherton
Subject (Geographic):
England. and England
Subject (Name):
Stanhope, Charles Stanhope, Earl, 1753-1816
Subject (Topic):
Politicians, Public speaking, and Clothing & dress
