"One of a set of four, and a companion print to British Museum Satires No. 7177. A party of unsoldierly Dutch ragamuffins practises firing at the figure of a Prussian soldier (right) chalked on a high stone wall. They stand on the brink of a ditch close to the wall and are commanded by a man in civilian dress holding a pike, evidently a member of a Free Corps, who is directing the military training of the others. One man stands up to his knees in water; frogs are climbing up him. Other frogs stand on the bank holding weapons. A crowd of ruffians (left) watch the firing, some have muskets, one a blunderbuss, one blows a trumpet, another waves his hat; all exult at the success of their arms against the symbol of the Prussian army, at which a dog barks and ducks quack. The high stone wall has a ruinous gap which is filled with a windmill."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from item., DeGrey's ms. note on verso., and Watermark with initials R G below.
Publisher:
Publish'd Octr. 18th, 1787 by T. Harmar, No. 164 (opposite Bond Street) Piccadilly, London
Subject (Geographic):
Netherlands
Subject (Topic):
Foreign public opinion, Great Britain, Ethnic Stereotypes, Crowds, Weapons, Firearms, Frogs, Trumpets, Pipes (Smoking), and Military training
