McArdell, James, approximately 1729-1765, printmaker
Published / Created:
[1749?]
Call Number:
Portraits G645 no. 1
Image Count:
1
Resource Type:
still image
Description:
Title from caption below image., Place of publication from printmaker's known place of activity., "Price 2."--Following title., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., and In paper frame: 374 x 265 mm.
A man with his hands clasped in supplication, is seized on one side by a burly turnkey and on the other by a man wearing in a Kevenhuller hat and armed with a cudgel. A third man tries to hit the prisoner on the head with a long cudgel. A fourth man, standing near the turnkey, threatens a boy and a woman who both kneel facing the prisoner whie a little girl in front of the woman stretches her arms towards her. On the far left, a well dressed man points to the scene with his left hand, his right hand resting on his hip. To his right is an entrance to a building with a lamp in the shape of an acorn hanging above the door. On the opposite side is another building with old-fashioned casement windows with diamond panes, or possibly bars, on upper floors and modern square paned windows on the ground floor. Over the door, in lieu of a lantern, hangs a bunch of grapes. The two buildings are connected in the background by a wall with a gate with heavy grill through which two men are peeking into the courtyard. On the wall above the grill are the Royal Arms, flanked by the arms of London and Westminster
Description:
Title engraved above image., Publication date from an unverified card catalog record., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Sixteen lines of verse in four columns below image: Welcome, welcome, brother debtor, As an old and hearty song ..., Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires., Temporary local subject terms: Prisons: The Compter -- Turnkeys -- Hats: Kevenhuller -- Weapons: cudgel -- Arms: royal arms -- Arms: City of London -- Arms: City of Westminster -- Emblems: grapes hanging over the dooor -- Lighting: outdoor hanging lantern., and Watermark: Strasburg lily with initials LVG below.
An allegorical representation of the nationalistic riot occasioned by a troupe of French comedians in London. This satirical print refers to the controversy and protest surrounding a French theatrical company, nicknamed the 'French Strollers', who applied for and were granted a licence to perform at the Haymarket in the winter of 1749. Their arrival occasioned much discontent; as the Scots Magazine reported, they were 'bitterly pelted in the news-papers'. Asserting their right to perform, they persisted in a show on 14 November, but were met by an audience intent on sabotage. An eyewitness account of the incident appeared in the Monthly Review some years later (July 1761): 'People went early to the Theatre, as a crouded House was certain ... I soon perceived that we were visited by two Westminster Justices, Deveil and Manning. The Leaders, that had the conduct of the Opposition, were known to be there; one of whom called aloud for the song in praise of English roast beef, which was accordingly sung in the gallery, by a person prepared for that purpose; and the whole house besides joining in the chorus, saluted the close with three huzzas! This, Justice Deveil was pleased to say, was a riot'. Despite the Justice's assertions that the play was licensed by the King's command, the crowd had come prepared to produce disruption. They were equipped with instruments which they played discordantly as an accompaniment to their jeers, catcalls, and Francophobic songs: 'as an attempt at speaking was ridiculous, the Actors retired, and opened instead with a grand dance of twelve men and twelve women; but even that was prepared for, and they were directly saluted with a bushel or two of peas, which made their capering very unsafe'. Unable even to dance, and following another abortive attempt by the magistrates to assert the King's authority, the curtain fell for the final time. The eyewitness evidently relished the outcome, venturing 'that at no battle gained over the French, by the immortal Marlborough, the shoutings could be more joyous than on this occasion'. The print embodies similar sentiments; the French strollers attack British theatrical establishment--represented by an affronted Britannia--who stands between them and British theatre-goers. In the foreground stands a perplexed Othello, lamenting the loss of his occupation, and an injured man a man lies on the floor 'Almost kill'd for not understanding French'.
Alternative Title:
Modern cramers
Description:
Title etched below image., Date of publication based on date of the depicted event., and Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, England, and London.
Subject (Topic):
Britannia (Symbolic character), Foreign public opinion, French, Theater, Actors, Actresses, Fighting, and Riots
Title etched above image., Date of publication from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark on top edge with loss of upper part of title., Ninety four lines of verse in five columns, in letterpress, below image on the plate: An arch and sturdy bellman of the town, that us' to cry his matters up and down ..., Temporary local subject terms: LIterature: The bellman and the captain, by John Byrom, 1691-1763, The Chester Courant, July 25 1749 -- Jacobites -- Literature: Jacobitish tales -- Bells: hand bells -- Bellmen -- Trades: butcher -- Military uniforms: captain's uniform -- Signs: butcher's sign -- Male costume: butcher's outfit -- Bellman's outfit -- Harlequin -- Allusion to King George II., and Watermark.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Name):
William Augustus, Prince, Duke of Cumberland, 1721-1765
Title etched above image., Publisher indentified from address., Four columns of verse below image: When conjurers [the] quality can bubble, and get their gold w[i]th very little trouble ..., Temporary local subject terms: Haymarket Theatre: burning of stage properties -- Bottles: conjurer in a bottle -- Watch: Military uniforms: Grenadier, Foot Guard -- Sticks -- Placards: Foote gives tea., and Watermark: countermark IV.
Publisher:
Sold in Mays Building, Covent Garden
Subject (Name):
William Augustus, Prince, Duke of Cumberland, 1721-1765, Foote, Samuel, 1720-1777, Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of, 1694-1773, and Sandwich, John Montagu, Earl of, 1718-1792
Title from item., The 'u' in 'conduct' etched backwards., Publisher tentatively attributed to Bickham in an unverified card catalog record., Publication place and date inferred from British Museum catalogue., Twelve lines of verse in two columns below image: O England, how revolving is thy state! How few thy blessings! How severe thy fate ..., Temporary local subject terms: Britannia (Symbolic character) as St. Erasmus -- Martyrdom of St. Erasmus -- Dissections -- Emblems: the White Horse of Hanover -- Baron Ilton., and Watermark: countermark IV.
Publisher:
G. Bickham?
Subject (Name):
George II, King of Great Britain, 1683-1760, Newcastle, Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of, 1693-1768, and Pelham, Henry, 1695?-1754
Title from item., Publisher identified from address., Caption below image: No money, with fireworks. Money, with commerce., Temporary local subject terms: Wars: War of the Austrian Succession -- Treaties: Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748 -- London: St. James's Park -- Fairs: British Jubilee, 1749 -- Fireworks: exhibition of fireworks -- Ships -- Money -- Lighting: Sun -- Swords -- Walking staves -- Male dress: Dutch, 1749 -- Personifications: empty-pocketed England -- Personifications: full-pocketed Holland., and Watermark: countermark IV.
Publisher:
Accordg. to act in May's Buildings [that is, Bickham, George]
A satire on the 9 June 1749 order from His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland to have the uniforms of three regiments of footguards shortened some three inches for the sake of convenience on marches. The group of guards are shown protesting (most with speech bubbles above their heads) in an open space with the Banqueting House, Whitehall, and Holbein's Gate, Westminster forming the perimeter
Description:
Title from caption below image. and Publication date from British Museum catalogue: [1 June 1794].
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Name):
William Augustus, Prince, Duke of Cumberland, 1721-1765 and Great Britain. Army.