"A burlesque of Fuseli's well-known picture illustrating 'Macbeth', i. 3. The three witches are Dundas, Pitt, and Thurlow, in profile to the right instead of to the left. Fuseli's drapery is replaced by clouds, and the three gaze with reflective and apprehensive intensity at the moon (right): the Queen's smiling profile in a brightly lit crescent faces them, enclosing the old moon, the darkened head of the King (eclipsed), with closed eyes in profile to the right. Each witch presses the fingers of his left hand (drawn with much expressiveness) to his lips (- 'each at once her choppy finger laying upon her skinny lips'); the outstretched left arm of Fuseli's picture is absent: they appear to be seeking knowledge of the future from the moon, not foretelling it."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Wierd sisters, ministers of darkness, minions of the moon and Weird sisters, ministers of darkness, minions of the moon
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Dedication etched above image: To H. Fuzelli Esqr. this attempt in the caricatura-sublime, is respectfully dedicated., and One line quotation below title: "They should be women! and yet their beards forbid us to interpret, that they are so."
Publisher:
Pubd. Decr. 23d, 1791, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Charlotte, Queen, consort of George III, King of Great Britain, 1744-1818, Dundas, Henry, 1742-1811, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Thurlow, Edward Thurlow, Baron, 1731-1806, Fuseli, Henry, 1741-1825, and Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
Subject (Topic):
Adaptations, parodies, etc, Regency, Politics and government, Eclipses, Moon, Politicians, Sun, and Witches
"A burlesque of Fuseli's well-known picture illustrating 'Macbeth', i. 3. The three witches are Dundas, Pitt, and Thurlow, in profile to the right instead of to the left. Fuseli's drapery is replaced by clouds, and the three gaze with reflective and apprehensive intensity at the moon (right): the Queen's smiling profile in a brightly lit crescent faces them, enclosing the old moon, the darkened head of the King (eclipsed), with closed eyes in profile to the right. Each witch presses the fingers of his left hand (drawn with much expressiveness) to his lips (- 'each at once her choppy finger laying upon her skinny lips'); the outstretched left arm of Fuseli's picture is absent: they appear to be seeking knowledge of the future from the moon, not foretelling it."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Wierd sisters, ministers of darkness, minions of the moon and Weird sisters, ministers of darkness, minions of the moon
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from description of earlier state in the British Museum catalogue., Publisher and date of publication from those of the volume in which the plate was issued., Dedication etched above image: To H. Fuzelli Esqr. this attempt in the caricatura-sublime, is respectfully dedicated., One line quotation below title: "They should be women! and yet their beards forbid us to interpret, that they are so.", Plate numbered "68" in upper right corner., Plate from: The works of James Gillray, from the original plates ... London : Printed for H.G. Bohn by C. Whiting, [1849?]., For an earlier state lacking plate number, see no. 7937 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 6., and Printed on verso, left half only, an uncolored impression of James Gillray's: The Pacific entrance of Earl-Wolf into Blackhaven.
Publisher:
Pubd. Decr. 23d, 1791, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street [i.e. H.G. Bohn]
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Charlotte, Queen, consort of George III, King of Great Britain, 1744-1818, Dundas, Henry, 1742-1811, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Thurlow, Edward Thurlow, Baron, 1731-1806, Fuseli, Henry, 1741-1825, and Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
Subject (Topic):
Adaptations, parodies, etc, Regency, Politics and government, Eclipses, Moon, Politicians, Sun, and Witches
"Thurlow as Balaam, riding (right to left) on an ass with the head of Pitt, is confronted by Fox (left) holding a sword with a serpentine blade and the shield of Britannia. The ass says, "Am not I thy Pitt=ifull Ass; upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine". Thurlow, on a larger scale than Fox and the ass, which is much overweighted, wears his Chancellor's wig and gown and holds his mace against his right shoulder; he looks fixedly at Fox. A low and irregular stone wall forms a background. Beneath the design is etched: 'And they came unto Balaam and said unto him, thus saith Balak the Templeite, let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me, for I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore I pray thee, curse me this People. Balaam rose up in the Morning and saddled his Ass, and went with the Lords of the Bed-Chamber, now the Man of the People stood in the way for an adversary against him, and when the Ass saw the Man of the People, he fell down under Balaam and Balaam's anger was kindled; and he smote the Ass with the Mace.'"--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Watermark in center of sheet: fleur-de-lis with initials G R., and Mounted to 28 x 39 cm.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, and Thurlow, Edward Thurlow, Baron, 1731-1806
Title and printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Printmaker Gillray signing with James Sayers's initials. Cf. British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: Wool sacks.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 27th 1789, by J. Aitken, Castle Street, Leicester Fields
Title devised by cataloger, based on contemporary mss. annotation., Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires., Watermark: I Taylor., and "Ld. Thurlow" added in contemporary hand in lower right corner.
Publisher:
Pub. June 15, 1792, by S.W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly