"Design in a circle inset in a square. A young dancer, Auguste Vestris (Vestr' Allard) in the centre of the stage. He is poised on the right toe, his left leg extended horizontally, his arms held out, a wide-brimmed hat, trimmed with ribbon and flowers in his right hand; his head thrown back rests on his right shoulder and he is smiling. Trees form the background, and on the right of the stage are flats, also of trees. In each of the lower angles of the square is a goose, standing on one leg."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from text below image., Printmakers and artist from British Museum catalogue., Text below image continues: ... said to a Lacedaemonian, I do not believe you can do as much; "True (said he) but every goose can.", Text in lower right corner of plate: See Plutarch's Laconic Apothegms, vol. I, page 406., Campanion print to: "He danc'd like a monkey, his pockets well cram'd ...", Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Mounted on wove paper backing., and Mounted on leaf 1 of volume 12 of 12.
Publisher:
Published 2st [sic] April 1781 by Torre, No. 44 Market Lane
An Italian family, in a poverty-stricken room, practise for opera. A young man stands full-face, singing, his fingers interlaced across his chest. He wears an open, ruffled shirt, awaistcoat, breeches, and ungartered stockings. To his right an old man plays an enormous 'cello. To his left a middle-aged man, seated in profile singing, plays a low harpsichord; he wears open ruffled shirt and breeches, with bare legs. Beside him on the extreme left a little boy dressed in a shirt plays the violin. On the extreme right a pretty young woman sits over the fire with an infant on her knee; she holds out a cloth to dry, looking over her shoulder to sing. Her score ('Affetuoso') is pinned to the chimney-piece, on which stands a crucifix with a tankard, &c. A lean greyhound howls up the chimney. All but the old man have fashionably dressed hair, and a certain elegance. The room is lit from an open casement window (left); there are dark cast shadows and the bare room has no ceiling. On the wall are a print of 'Vestris' dancing, a sword, a play-bill: 'l'Avaro Deluso' (opera by Paisiello, libretto by Vulpius), and a bunch of farthing dips; on the window ledge a cracked mirror, cocked hat, bottles, &c. Beneath the harpsichord is a large bowl labeled 'Macaroni'; and in the foreground lie a violin, music-books, earthenware pots, &c."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., 1 print : etching on laid paper, hand-colored ; sheet 35.8 x 46.1 cm., Sheet trimmed within plate mark resulting in loss of imprint., and Mounted on leaf 22 of volume 2 of 14 volumes.
Publisher:
Pubd. Decr. 1785 by S. Alken, No. 3 Dufours Place, Broad Street, Soho. Sold by W. Hinton, No. 5 Sweeting Alley, Cornhill
Subject (Name):
Vulpius, Christian August, 1762-1827, Paisiello, Giovanni, 1740-1816, and Vestris, Auguste, 1760-1842
Subject (Topic):
Children, Families, Italian, Mothers, Musical instruments, Musicians, and Singing
An Italian family, in a poverty-stricken room, practise for opera. A young man stands full-face, singing, his fingers interlaced across his chest. He wears an open, ruffled shirt, awaistcoat, breeches, and ungartered stockings. To his right an old man plays an enormous 'cello. To his left a middle-aged man, seated in profile singing, plays a low harpsichord; he wears open ruffled shirt and breeches, with bare legs. Beside him on the extreme left a little boy dressed in a shirt plays the violin. On the extreme right a pretty young woman sits over the fire with an infant on her knee; she holds out a cloth to dry, looking over her shoulder to sing. Her score ('Affetuoso') is pinned to the chimney-piece, on which stands a crucifix with a tankard, &c. A lean greyhound howls up the chimney. All but the old man have fashionably dressed hair, and a certain elegance. The room is lit from an open casement window (left); there are dark cast shadows and the bare room has no ceiling. On the wall are a print of 'Vestris' dancing, a sword, a play-bill: 'l'Avaro Deluso' (opera by Paisiello, libretto by Vulpius), and a bunch of farthing dips; on the window ledge a cracked mirror, cocked hat, bottles, &c. Beneath the harpsichord is a large bowl labeled 'Macaroni'; and in the foreground lie a violin, music-books, earthenware pots, &c."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Watermark: J Whatman.
Publisher:
Pubd. Decr. 1785 by S. Alken, No. 3 Dufours Place, Broad Street, Soho. Sold by W. Hinton, No. 5 Sweeting Alley, Cornhill
Subject (Name):
Vulpius, Christian August, 1762-1827, Paisiello, Giovanni, 1740-1816, and Vestris, Auguste, 1760-1842
Subject (Topic):
Children, Families, Italian, Mothers, Musical instruments, Musicians, and Singing
"Vestris fils, as in BMSat 5905, on the same stage, is dancing in a similar pose, poised on his right toe, his back to the audience, looking over his left shoulder smiling. In his right hand is his hat, held out as before but full of notes or bills, inconspicuously inscribed "gui, £1100", and "£20,000". In his left hand he holds out a netted purse to which is attached a label inscribed "English Guineas". In place of the goose of BMSat 5897 in each lower angle of the square is an ape dressed as a dancer and with his hat held out, cf. BMSat 5903; one (left) matches the pose of Vestris in BMSat 5905, the other (right) his pose in this design."--British Museum online catalogue, description of an earlier state of the same composition
Alternative Title:
He danced like a monkey, his pockets well crammed ... and Oh qui goose-toe!
Description:
Title from text below image., Printmakers and artist from description of earlier state in the British Museum catalogue., Reissue, with different publication line, of a print issued with the imprint "Pubd. May 16th, 1781, by W. Humphrey, No. 227 Strand." Cf. No. 5906 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 5., Date of publication based on publisher's street address. See British Museum online catalogue., Text below image continues: ... caper'd off with a grin, "kiss my a*** & be d-d.", Campanion print to: "A stranger at Sparta standing long upon one leg ...", and Mounted on leaf 2 of volume 12 of 12.
