A nude couple (Mrs. Fitzherbert and the future George IV) in enormous wigs stands under the "Tree of Life." A sheet of paper covering the man's hips is inscribed "Mr. Rock." In his left hand he holds a ticket to a masquerade at Pantheon, in the right a walking stick. A serpent, inscribed "Modern gap of honour" glides between his legs and next to a saddle, whip and a riding hat inscribed "Furniture for saddling an estate." Next to the woman who holds a fan in front of her thighs, with a dog climbing up her knee, lie on the ground a staff and a comedy mask, a ticket and a letter addressed "To Belinda." Behind the woman a monkey is holding a mirror. Playing cards and dice fall off the tree which is hung with cards advertising fashionable places in London such as the Carlisle House, Pantheon, White's Club, Ranelagh and Almack's, among others. On the left a devil is walking away from her toward a roaring fire saying "I'll even back to Hell again, for these must be too knowing for me by the Size of their Heads." On the right in the background two men, identified as "Cain and Abel" are dueling. Another man lies on the ground having fallen off a galloping horse. The explanation below reads "For the benefit of the next heir."
Alternative Title:
Adam and Eve regenerated
Description:
Title etched below image., Formerly dated as 1780 because a portion of the ascender in the '6' (and the upper portion of the '8') is missing., and Sheet trimmed within plate mark.
Publisher:
Pubd Novr. 24, 1786 by W. Humphrey, No. 227 Strand, London
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Fitzherbert, Maria Anne, 1756-1837, Adam (Biblical figure), and Eve (Biblical figure)
Subject (Topic):
Biblical events, Tree of life, Gambling, Wigs, Hairstyles, Devil, Hell, Dueling, and Horseback riding
Two renowned quacks demonstrate the superiority of each other's experiments and inventions. On the left, Graham, a quack, fashionable doctor and visionary, stands on the glass insulators used in his experiments with electricity and placed on top of a podium in the form of an E.O.(gaming) table, a reference to the illegal gambling he patronized at his residence. He stradles a long tube signed, "Prime conductor / Gentle restorer / Largest in the world." Behind his table stand two gigantic porters employed at his establishment, named here "Gog" and "Magog." The placard around Gog's neck, "The Temple of Health & of Hymen," is an allusion to Graham's 'celestial bed' for cure of sterility. His opponent on the right side of the image, quack, conjurer and showman Katerfelto, crouches next to a cylindrical conductor signed, "Positively Charg'd." The trident inserted in the back end of the conductor touches a grindstone turned by the devil. Electric sparks shoot from its front end and from Katerfelto's right thumb and index finger. Some sparks drip on a toy cannon in front of him firing at Graham. His podium is made of flimsy planks placed atop the container signed, "Reservoir for Dead Insects destroyd by Dr. Katterf[elto]."
Description:
Title from item., Sheet trimmed trimmed to plate mark., and Mounted to 28 x 39 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 17th 1783 by W. Humphrey No 227 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
Graham, James, 1745-1794. and Katerfelto, Gustavus, fl. 1782-1783.
Subject (Topic):
Electricity, Experiments, Gog and Magog, Quacks, Devil, Medicines, Gambling, and Wigs
