Charles Fox, riding a lion, and William Pitt, on a white horse, face each other in the House of Commons, in front of the vacated Speaker's chair. Fox, holding a whip in one hand and a bridle in the other, tries to convince Pitt to dismount the untamed horse that stands with its front legs on a large sheet signed, "Magna Charta, Bill of Rights, Constitution," and kicks with the hind legs and defecates at the fleeing crowd of the members of Parliament. In return, Pitt praises his steed for its wild behavior. The last of the members pushing toward the door is the Speaker, Cornwall, in a wig and carrying the Speaker's mace. A satire on the dissolution of the Parliament on March 25.
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Abbreviation "No." in imprint statement appears in superscript above the digit "7" in street number "227.", Text below title: A scene in a new play lately acted in Westminster with distinguished applause. Act 2nd scene last., 1 print : etching on wove paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 24.9 x 35.2 cm, on sheet 25.7 x 36.1 cm., Mounted on wove paper backing., and Formerly mounted on leaf 54 of volume 1 of 14 volumes.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 31st, 1784, by W. Humphrey, No. 227 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Cornwall, Charles Wolfran, 1735-1789, and Great Britain Parliament
Subject (Topic):
Dissolution, Politics and government, Humor, Horses, Lions, Coats of arms, Chairs, Defecation, and Crowds
Charles Fox, riding a lion, and William Pitt, on a white horse, face each other in the House of Commons, in front of the vacated Speaker's chair. Fox, holding a whip in one hand and a bridle in the other, tries to convince Pitt to dismount the untamed horse that stands with its front legs on a large sheet signed, "Magna Charta, Bill of Rights, Constitution," and kicks with the hind legs and defecates at the fleeing crowd of the members of Parliament. In return, Pitt praises his steed for its wild behavior. The last of the members pushing toward the door is the Speaker, Cornwall, in a wig and carrying the Speaker's mace. A satire on the dissolution of the Parliament on March 25.
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Abbreviation "No." in imprint statement appears in superscript above the digit "7" in street number "227.", and Text below title: A scene in a new play lately acted in Westminster with distinguished applause. Act 2nd scene last.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 31st, 1784, by W. Humphrey, No. 227 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Cornwall, Charles Wolfran, 1735-1789, and Great Britain Parliament
Subject (Topic):
Dissolution, Politics and government, Humor, Horses, Lions, Coats of arms, Chairs, Defecation, and Crowds
Title etched below image., Unverified attribution to Dent from local card catalog., Publication information from the Library of Congress copy. Cf. LC 3:42., Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires., Temporary local subject terms: Dissenters -- Symbols: dove of peace -- St. Paul's Cathedral -- Dice and dice-box -- Reference to St. Stephen's Chapel -- Reference to the House of Commons -- Literature: reference to Richard Price's Observations on civil liberty -- Literature: reference to Edmund Burke's A philosophical inquiry into the origin of the sublime and beautiful -- Acts: repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, March 2, 1790 -- Thirty-nine articles -- Votes: majority 189 on repeal of Test and Corporation Act., and Mounted to 37 x 25 cm.
