Title from caption below center image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires.
Publisher:
Published Feby. 1831 by S. Gans, 15 Southampton St., Covt. Garden
Subject (Topic):
Freemasonry, Courtship, Couples, and Eating & drinking
"A masonic feast: in the centre of the room on a platform is an empty armchair decorated with a masonic symbol. Below it and on the right is a table with punch-bowl, glasses, candles, &c, behind which are the English members of the Lodge, some seated, others standing. On the left sit the French members, the most prominent being Cagliostro; all wear masonic aprons. ... "--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Masonic anecdote
Description:
Titles in English and French etched above image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Captions in French and English etched under each title, respectively., Thirty lines of verse in French below image on left, under the heading, "Abregè de l'histoire du Comte Arabe": Nè Dieu sait où, maintenu Dieu sait comme ..., Thirty lines of verse in English below image on right, under the heading, "Abstract of the Arabian Count's memoirs": Born God knows where, supported God knows how ..., Sheet trimmed within plate mark, and imprint statement mostly erased from sheet; imprint from British Museum catalogue., Temporary local subject terms: Trades: hairdresser -- Hairdressers: Mr. Barker, King Street, Bloomsbury -- Opticians: Mr. Mash -- Interior of the Freemasons' Lodge of Antiquity -- Freemasons' symbols -- Furniture -- Upholstered chair -- Lighting: candlesticks -- Glass decanter -- Glass bottle -- Wine glasses -- Punch bowls., and Watermark: Russell & Co. 1797 on the right side of sheet; fleur-de-lis on the left side.
Publisher:
Publish'd November 21st, 1786, for the proprietor by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Cagliostro, Alessandro, conte di, 1743-1795
Subject (Topic):
Freemasonry, Quacks and quackery, Fraternal organizations, Interiors, Dining tables, Chairs, Candles, and Eating & drinking
Satire on the excesses of certain Freemasons: a procession of masons emerge from a public house headed by elaborately dressed men described as the emperor of China, Confucius and two mandarins; an old woman sits on a ladder balanced on the back of a donkey and a mason, identified as such by his apron and gloves, stretches between the rungs of the ladder to kiss her bare backside; Don Quixote, in full armour and wearing a masonic apron and gloves, holds up his shield behind the donkey; in the foreground, to left, a man playing the bladder and string, in the centre, a dancing monkey with apron and gloves, and, to right, a butcher laughing at the scene while Sancho Panza gasps in surprise
Description:
Title engraved below image., State, publisher, and date from Paulson. British Museum catalogue dates the print 1742., Below the image, far left of the title, mock key identifying the leading figures, followed by twelve lines of verse beginning, "From Eastern Climes, transplanted to our Coasts ..."., Below the image, far right of the title, mock description: "Done from [the] original painted at Pekin by Matachauter, grav'd by Ho-ge and sold by [the] printsellers of London, Paris & Rome.", and Sheet trimmed within plate mark.
