"Bergami, moustachioed, whiskered, and alluring, in a tight-fitting harlequin's suit over which is a short gold-laced jacket, sits on a tall stool, holding up a life-like puppet representing the Queen. He grasps it by the waist, and pulls a ribbon, making arms and legs fly up. She smiles delightedly down at him, her ringlets flying. She wears the décolletée over-dress of British Museum Satires No. 14103, open to show frilled and spotted drawers. Bergami, part courier, part Harlequin, has a heavy queue of hair hanging from his black curls, and wears a peaked cap with a big gold tassel. A heavy postilion's whip projects from his pocket. He is directed to the left, towards an open French window and a vine trellis, with a view of Lake Como (see British Museum Satires No. 13857). He raises his right leg, looking over his left shoulder, away from his puppet. On the floor are the courier's discarded pistol, powder-flask, holster, and saddle; behind his chair are portmanteaus, one inscribed 'B B'. A large book propped against a decanter inscribed 'A Boire' is: 'Hop Step and Jump, or, every man his own Courier. List of Postes on the high road from Dunghill, to Barona' [see British Museum Satires No. 14119]. A partly dropped curtain (right) reveals two figurines embracing below a shelf of books. The carpet is patterned with hearts."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Harlequin courier's delight
Description:
Title etched below image., Attributed to Theodore Lane in the British Museum catalogue., Temporary local subject terms: Female costume: over-dress, drawers -- Wigs: queue -- Postilion whips -- French windows -- Trellises -- Couriers -- Guns: pistols -- Powder flasks -- Holsters -- Saddles -- Portmanteaus -- Male costume: spurs., 1 print : etching with stipple ; plate mark 30.2 x 22.8 cm, on sheet 30.5 x 23.1 cm., Printed on wove paper; hand-colored., Mounted to 58 x 39 cm., Mounted on leaf 59 in volume 2 of the W.E. Gladstone collection of caricatures and broadsides surrounding the "Queen Caroline Affair.", and Figure of "Caroline" identified in pencil below image; figure of "Bergami" identified in ink. Date "17 Feb. 1821" written in ink in lower right corner. Typed extract of five lines from the British Museum catalogue description is pasted beneath print.
Publisher:
Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James's St.
Subject (Geographic):
Como, Lake (Italy),
Subject (Name):
Caroline, Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain, 1768-1821 and Bergami, Bartolomeo Bergami, Baron
Subject (Topic):
Harlequin (Fictitious character), Adultery, Fools & jesters, Puppets, and Whips
Plate lettered in the top center 'K': Reverse copies of details of four men after characters around the table on the right in Hogarth's first plate in Election entertainment. Each figure is numbered; 1, 2, 3. Three men laugh as they look on a man (4) who has made a mask from his first and napkin
Description:
Title from British Museum catalogue., Printmaker and date from British Museum online catalogue., and Plates from: Lichtenberg's Göttinger Taschen Kalender.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Name):
Hogarth, William, 1697-1764.
Subject (Topic):
Eating & drinking, Wine, Political elections, Puppets, and Taverns (Inns)
"Three strips arranged horizontally as in BMSat 9488. The subjects (with inscriptions) are a 'round-about' or primitive merry-go-round, a couple in a 'Tax'd Cart', a newsboy crying 'The Second Edition', street musicians with hurdy-gurdy, tambourine, and triangle, a Punch and Judy show, parson and clerk, a couple on a horse, a man selling garters, 'Long, and strong Scarlet Garters a penny a pair', a man with a performing bear and dancing dogs, a town crier, a pugilistic encounter."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title supplied by cataloger., "No. 8."--Upper left corner., Three horizontal strips between borders., Imperfect; sheet trimmed within plate mark, with loss of plate number. Missing text from impression in the British Museum., and Watermark: Iping.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 20th, 1799, by R. Ackermann, No. 101 Strand
Subject (Topic):
Bears, Carts & wagons, Clergy, Clerks, Dogs, Fighting, Musical instruments, Newspaper carriers, Organ grinders, Puppet shows, Puppets, Street musicians, Town criers, Street vendors, and Trained animals