A satirical print rebuking the many writers who profited by writing memoirs of Samuel Johnson. On the left, Mrs. Piozzi is seated at her writing desk in her study. With a look of astonishment. she looks behind her at the ghost of Samuel Johnson in a night shirt who with his right hand points to the portraits of James Boswell and Sir John Hawkins on the wall and in his left hand holds a money purse. Another portrait on the far right depicts John Courtenay with a pen in his hand looking toward a bust of Prisian. On her desk is a letter "D Johnson ... Letters Dear Lady", implying that she has been concoting Johnson's letters to her. Immediately above her desk in the middle of the wall of books, a violin, an allusion to her second husband a musician, obscures the portrait of her first husband Henry Thrale
Alternative Title:
Frontispiece for the 2d edition of Dr. Johnson's letters
Description:
Title etched below image., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twenty-four lines of verse in two columns below title: Madam! my debt to nature paid, I thought the grave with hallow'd shade would now protect my name ..., and Contemporary mss. note on verso.
A satirical print rebuking the many writers who profited by writing memoirs of Samuel Johnson. On the left, Mrs. Piozzi is seated at her writing desk in her study. With a look of astonishment. she looks behind her at the ghost of Samuel Johnson in a night shirt who with his right hand points to the portraits of James Boswell and Sir John Hawkins on the wall and in his left hand holds a money purse. Another portrait on the far right depicts John Courtenay with a pen in his hand looking toward a bust of Prisian. On her desk is a letter "D Johnson ... Letters Dear Lady", implying that she has been concoting Johnson's letters to her. Immediately above her desk in the middle of the wall of books, a violin, an allusion to her second husband a musician, obscures the portrait of her first husband Henry Thrale
Alternative Title:
Frontispiece for the 2d edition of Dr. Johnson's letters
Description:
Title etched below image., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twenty-four lines of verse in two columns below title: Madam! my debt to nature paid, I thought the grave with hallow'd shade would now protect my name ..., and Mounted on page 57 with one other print.
A satirical print rebuking the many writers who profited by writing memoirs of Samuel Johnson. On the left, Mrs. Piozzi is seated at her writing desk in her study. With a look of astonishment. she looks behind her at the ghost of Samuel Johnson in a night shirt who with his right hand points to the portraits of James Boswell and Sir John Hawkins on the wall and in his left hand holds a money purse. Another portrait on the far right depicts John Courtenay with a pen in his hand looking toward a bust of Prisian. On her desk is a letter "D Johnson ... Letters Dear Lady", implying that she has been concoting Johnson's letters to her. Immediately above her desk in the middle of the wall of books, a violin, an allusion to her second husband a musician, obscures the portrait of her first husband Henry Thrale
Alternative Title:
Frontispiece for the 2d edition of Dr. Johnson's letters
Description:
Title etched below image., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twenty-four lines of verse in two columns below title: Madam! my debt to nature paid, I thought the grave with hallow'd shade would now protect my name ..., 1 print : etching with stipple on laid paper ; plate mark 25 x 17.7 cm, on sheet 27.2 x 19.4 cm., and Mounted on leaf 39 of James Sayers's Folio album of 144 caricatures.
"The three biographers of Johnson sit under his bust, which frowns down at them from a high rectangular pedestal. Mrs. Thrale (left) and Boswell (right) sit facing each other; she leans back, her head turned in 'profil perdu' towards Johnson (who looks at her); she holds a large open book, the pages headed 'Memoirs \ Life of Dr Johnson'; her pen is in her right hand. Boswell writes busily in an open book on whose left page is depicted a bear on its hind legs, holding a large stick, a chain attached to its muzzle. Between them is a small table at a corner of which Boswell writes. At its farther side, with his back to the bust, sits Courtenay scratching his forehead in perplexity, his elbow supported on a book inscribed 'Joe Miller'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image, Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twelve lines of verse in two columns on either side of title: Three authors in three sister kingdoms born, the shrine of Johnson with their works adorn ..., Temporary local subject terms: Joe Miller's Jests., 1 print : etching on laid paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 27.5 x 19.6 cm, on sheet 30 x 20 cm., and Subjects identified in mss. by contemporary hand: Mrs. Thrale, Wm. Courtney, Mr. Boswell.
"The three biographers of Johnson sit under his bust, which frowns down at them from a high rectangular pedestal. Mrs. Thrale (left) and Boswell (right) sit facing each other; she leans back, her head turned in 'profil perdu' towards Johnson (who looks at her); she holds a large open book, the pages headed 'Memoirs \ Life of Dr Johnson'; her pen is in her right hand. Boswell writes busily in an open book on whose left page is depicted a bear on its hind legs, holding a large stick, a chain attached to its muzzle. Between them is a small table at a corner of which Boswell writes. At its farther side, with his back to the bust, sits Courtenay scratching his forehead in perplexity, his elbow supported on a book inscribed 'Joe Miller'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image, Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twelve lines of verse in two columns on either side of title: Three authors in three sister kingdoms born, the shrine of Johnson with their works adorn ..., Temporary local subject terms: Joe Miller's Jests., Subjects identified in pencil; Johnson above the plate mark and Mrs. Piozzi, Mr. Courtney and Mr. Boswell below., and Mounted to 43 x 33 cm.
"The three biographers of Johnson sit under his bust, which frowns down at them from a high rectangular pedestal. Mrs. Thrale (left) and Boswell (right) sit facing each other; she leans back, her head turned in 'profil perdu' towards Johnson (who looks at her); she holds a large open book, the pages headed 'Memoirs \ Life of Dr Johnson'; her pen is in her right hand. Boswell writes busily in an open book on whose left page is depicted a bear on its hind legs, holding a large stick, a chain attached to its muzzle. Between them is a small table at a corner of which Boswell writes. At its farther side, with his back to the bust, sits Courtenay scratching his forehead in perplexity, his elbow supported on a book inscribed 'Joe Miller'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image, Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twelve lines of verse in two columns on either side of title: Three authors in three sister kingdoms born, the shrine of Johnson with their works adorn ..., Temporary local subject terms: Joe Miller's Jests., and Mounted on page 57 with one other print.
"The three biographers of Johnson sit under his bust, which frowns down at them from a high rectangular pedestal. Mrs. Thrale (left) and Boswell (right) sit facing each other; she leans back, her head turned in 'profil perdu' towards Johnson (who looks at her); she holds a large open book, the pages headed 'Memoirs \ Life of Dr Johnson'; her pen is in her right hand. Boswell writes busily in an open book on whose left page is depicted a bear on its hind legs, holding a large stick, a chain attached to its muzzle. Between them is a small table at a corner of which Boswell writes. At its farther side, with his back to the bust, sits Courtenay scratching his forehead in perplexity, his elbow supported on a book inscribed 'Joe Miller'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image, Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twelve lines of verse in two columns on either side of title: Three authors in three sister kingdoms born, the shrine of Johnson with their works adorn ..., Temporary local subject terms: Joe Miller's Jests., 1 print : etching on wove paper ; plate mark 27.2 x 19.2 cm, on sheet 29.8 x 21.4 cm., and Mounted on verso of leaf 38 of James Sayers's Folio album of 144 caricatures.
On the left the ghost of Samuel Johnson, in a great swirl of billowing clouds, appears before a startled James Boswell, right hand raised in alarm, who is seated at a table strewn with papers and remnants. In his hand he holds a cushion labeled "Hebrides." Behind him on the wall are two shelves of books, many of which are identified by author and title, or numbered, perhaps a reference to his journals that were the basis of his Life of Samuel Johnson. Below the shelves is a framed portrait of Boswell. A quotation from William Congreve's The Way of the World, Act iv, Scene 9 is engraved below the image
Description:
Title and imprint from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Three lines of verse from "Congreve's Way of the world, Act IV, Scene 9", below title, beginning: Thou art a retailer of phrases ..., and A later copy of No. 8281 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 6.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Name):
Boswell, James, 1740-1795., Boswell, James, 1740-1795, and Johnson, Samuel, 1709-1784
