"The 'Gods', Hawkesbury, Addington, St. Vincent, lean down from the clouds to defend the 'Treasury' against the assault of the 'Giants', different groups of the Opposition forming a pyramid in the lower, and larger, part of the design. [These identifications are those of Miss Banks (on a B.M. print) confirmed by Lord Holland, who omits Lord Spencer but adds Tierney, called by Miss Banks 'no particular person'. The identifications of Wright and Evans are in several cases incorrect. Grego substitutes Lord Mulgrave for Dr. Lawrence (or Spencer) and omits Spencer and others. Lord Holland notes that only the portraits of Pitt, Addington, Fox, Norfolk, Buckingham, Grenville, and Derby are like their subjects.] These are grouped on rocks, and are naked or nearly so (with one exception). At the apex of the pyramid are Pitt and Dundas, smaller and less dangerous than Fox in the foreground (left). Pitt, much emaciated, stands with legs astride, looking up, and about to hurl a large bundle of papers: 'Knock-down Arguments'; two similar bundles lie at his feet: 'Death and Eternal Sleep' [cf. BMSat 8350], and 'Coup de Grace'. He wears a military cocked hat, jack-boots, and a sword-belt from which hangs a sabre, indicating his volunteer activities (see BMSat 10113, &c); round his loins is a girdle of grapes and vine-leaves (cf. BMSat 8798). Melville (Dundas), behind and below Pitt, raises a sword inscribed 'True Andrew-Ferrara' and a shield; he wears a Scots bonnet; a tartan plaid and kilt adorn his burly nudity. At Pitt's feet stands Wilberforce, a dwarf, holding a large volume, Duty of Man, and directing upwards a fountain which can never approach the clouds. On the lower part of this rock stands Canning, in an attitude like that of Pitt, prepared to hurl a bulky sheaf of papers: 'Killing Detections'; he registers sly amusement, and wears a girdle of feathers suggestive of a Red Indian. From behind the rock appear two shadowy figures, each with the pen in his mouth that indicates a Treasury secretary; one prepares to hurl a bundle of 'Charges', the other, below him, has a bundle of 'Long Charges'. They are Rose and Long, ex-Treasury secretaries, see BMSat 9722. In the foreground (left) is a lower rocky platform on which the obese Buckingham and his burly brother Lord Grenville hold up Fox by the legs. Fox, bulky and hairy, fires a blast of flame, smoke, and bullets from a blunderbuss', doing more execution than all the others together. He is completely nude; drapery hangs from the shoulders of his two supporters, and the pompous Buckingham wears spectacles and Garter ribbon. All register satisfaction, rather than ardour like the Pittites. Beside their rock, and on the extreme left are supporters of Fox: Norfolk with a kettle-drum slung from his neck on which he is performing with two wine-bottles (cf. BMSat 9261). Behind him is Carlisle, banging a marrow-bone on a cleaver inscribed 'Coalition Roast Beef' [reminiscent of the Foxite butchers at Westminster elections]. The profile of Burdett is on the extreme left; he wears a hat on which is a ribbon: 'no Bastile' [see BMSat 9878, &c], and holds a fringed banner on which are equally balanced scales and the motto 'In hoc Signo Vinces' [cf. BMSat 10416]; on its spear-point is poised a cap of liberty terminating in the bell that indicates Folly. Behind him an arm holds up a trumpet to which is attached a banner inscribed 'Honor Property Ability' [symbolic of the Whig oligarchy and stressing the gulf between Foxites and the supposedly levelling Burdett]. ..."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Giants storming heaven
Description:
Title etched below image. and Two lines of text below title: "They never complain'd of fatigue, but like giants refreshed, were ready to enter immediately upon the attack! Vide Lord Ch--c-ll-r's Speech, 24th April 1804. "Not to destroy! but root them out of heaven." Milton.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Buckingham, George Nugent Temple Grenville,--Marquess of,--1753-1813--Caricatures and cartoons., Canning, George,--1770-1827--Caricatures and cartoons., Carlisle, Frederick Howard,--Earl of,--1748-1825--Caricatures and cartoons., Derby, Edward Smith Stanley,--Earl of,--1752-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., Erskine, Thomas Erskine,--Baron,--1750-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville,--Baron,--1759-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., Grey, Charles Grey,--Earl,--1764-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Jones, Thomas Tyrwhitt,--Sir,--1765-1811--Caricatures and cartoons., Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkinson,--Earl of,--1770-1828--Caricatures and cartoons., Long, Charles,--1761-1838--Caricatures and cartoons., Melville, Henry Dundas,--Viscount,--1742-1811--Caricatures and cartoons., Norfolk, Charles Howard,--Duke of,--1746-1815--Caricatures and cartoons., Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Rose, George,--1744-1818--Caricatures and cartoons., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Sidmouth, Henry Addington,--Viscount,--1757-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., Spencer, George John Spencer,--Earl,--1758-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., St. Vincent, John Jervis,--Viscount,--1735-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Stanhope, Charles Stanhope,--Earl,--1753-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Taylor, Michael Angelo,--1757-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., Tierney, George,--1761-1830--Caricatures and cartoons., Wilberforce, William,--1759-1833--Caricatures and cartoons., and Windham, William,--1750-1810--Caricatures and cartoons.
"A close parody of West's picture, 'The Death of Wolfe' (1771). The three officers supporting the mortally wounded Pitt are (left to right) Burke, Pepper Arden (Master of the Rolls), and Dundas. From Burke's pocket projects a paper 'Reflections upon £3700 Pr Ann.' (The policy indicated by his famous book, see BMSat 7675, &c, had been rewarded by two pensions, see BMSat 8654.) Dundas, wearing a kilt, offers Pitt a glass of wine (in place of stanching his wound); a bottle of 'Port' projects from his coat-pocket. The officer behind holding the British flag is identified by Lord Holland as Chatham and the man who supports him as Powys, noted for his propensity to tears (see BMSat 6642). The White Horse of Hanover (cf. BMSat 8691, &c.) on the flag is more conspicuous than in West's picture, and a scroll inscribed 'Magna Chart[a]' has been added. In the group facing Pitt the place of the Mohawk Indian seated on the ground is taken by Loughborough, half-naked, the purse of the Great Seal replacing the Indian's beaded bag, the mace that of his musket, a bloodstained headsman's axe that of his tomahawk. In place of the beaded headdress is the Chancellor's wig surmounted by a monster with the head of a cock, whose limbs are snakes. The two men who lean forward to Wolfe, pointing back to the messenger with the news of victory, are dressed as running-footmen in livery and hold the long sticks with the head enclosing an egg carried by these men. Ink-pots are slung across their shoulders by bands inscribed 'Ist Treasury Runner' and '2d Tre . . .', showing that they are the two Secretaries to the Treasury, George Rose and Charles Long. Grenville, in peer's robes, stands between Lord Mansfield and Windham, who supports him. In place of West's handsome young officer who runs up with the French flag is a man with the face of a demon holding a tattered tricolour flag inscribed 'Libertas', its shaft broken. A large bonnet-rouge lies on the ground. The couple who stand on the extreme right watching Pitt with clasped hands are Richmond and a man with a wooden leg. Richmond, in general's uniform, his bald head contrasting with the luxuriant hair of West's corresponding figure, has a cannon slung to his back to indicate his Mastership of the Ordnance (cf. BMSat 6921, &c.) in which, however, he had been succeeded by Cornwallis (Feb. 1795), see BMSat 8341. His weeping companion has been identified as Wilberforce, though his wooden leg might indicate Brook Watson, Commissary-General (see vol. vi). The background differs from West's picture. In place of the confused fighting and the smoke which surrounds the Heights of Abraham, the Ministerial cavalry advance in even line, rank upon rank, and put to flight a small body of sansculottes with bonnets-rouges (left). They have a standard on which is a crown. ..."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Text at botton of plate: To Benjn. West Esqr., President of the Royal Academy, this attempt to emulate the beauties of his unequal'd picture ..., Text below title: "We have overcome all opposition!, exclaimed the messengers. "I'm satisfied," said the dying hero, & expired in the moment of victory., and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Alvanley, Richard Pepper Arden,--Baron,--1745-1804--Caricatures and cartoons., Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Burke, Edmund,--1729-1797--Caricatures and cartoons., Chatham, John Pitt,--Earl of,--1756-1835--Caricatures and cartoons., Gillray, James, 1756-1815, artist., Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville,--Baron,--1759-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Lilford, Thomas Powys,--Baron,--1743-1800--Caricatures and cartoons., Long, Charles,--1761-1838--Caricatures and cartoons., Mansfield, David Murray,--Earl of,--1727-1796--Caricatures and cartoons., Melville, Henry Dundas,--Viscount,--1742-1811--Caricatures and cartoons., Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Richmond, Charles Lennox,--3d Duke of,--1735-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Rose, George,--1744-1818--Caricatures and cartoons., Rosslyn, Alexander Wedderburn,--Earl of,--1733-1805--Caricatures and cartoons., Watson, Brook,--1735 -1807--Caricatures and cartoons., West, Benjamin,--1738-1820., Wilberforce, William,--1759-1833--Caricatures and cartoons., Windham, William,--1750-1810--Caricatures and cartoons., and Wolfe, James,--1727-1759.
