The print celebrates the British defeat of the French and Spanish in the Battle of the First of June 1794 under the command of Admiral Richard Howe. A British sailor stands on a wharf in front a pub, silhouetted by two British flags; he is grinning at the viewer as he holds his prize money in one hand and bludgeon and a roll of paper in the other. Beside him a woman leans in at the window of the pub as a man with a clay pipe in his mouth hands her a bowl of punch; a large dog rests beneath the window at her feet. Several patriotic signs are posted over the pub walls. In the background a man-of-war lies at anchor, and a row boat with several sailors heads towards shore
Description:
Title engraved below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Four columns of verse below title: O! Dear had I but words to tell, O! Dear what I this moment feel ..., Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires., and Sheet trimmed within plate mark at bottom resulting in loss of imprint and text.
Publisher:
Publish'd 1st Augt. 1794 by Laurie & Whittle, No. 53 Fleet Street, London
Subject (Topic):
First of June, Battle of the, 1794, Bars, Sailors, British, Victories, and Sailing ships
"A (tricolour) top with the head of Napoleon spins, above the ground, savagely lashed by representatives of the Allies. His arms and his legs have already been severed from his body, now represented only by the madly spinning top. The most violently active is Blücher (left) stripped to the shirt, his coat and hat thrown on a drum on the extreme left, beside which lie his gloves and baton. Facing them is Wellington (right) equally effective, stern, but less savage. Full-face, and immediately behind the top is the Tsar, left hand on hip; his whip is inscribed 'Knout'. Between him and Wellington is Schwarzenberg (or Francis I). Bernadotte stands rather behind, between Blücher and Alexander, both hands on his hips; he holds a whip but is an amused spectator. Behind (right) the future King of Holland, crowned and wearing a star, but dressed in the breeches and jacket of the Dutchman in English caricature, sits under a tree on a cask of 'Hollands'. He watches delightedly, holding up one of Napoleon's legs inscribed 'United Netherlands'. The other leg, the thigh inscribed 'Swisslad, the boot Italy, lies near Blücher. At Wellington's feet is the right arm inscribed Spain & Portugal'; the left arm, inscribed 'Germany', is near Schwarzenberg. Napoleon's orb and (broken) sceptre lie near him, with some of the feathers from the large hat which is still on his head; his horrified and shrieking profile faces Blücher. In the background (left) is a road along which a carriage drives off, drawn by four galloping horses. It contains tiny figures: Marie Louise, crowned and looking behind her, and the little King of Rome also crowned and waving a sceptre. Two soldiers are on the box, two others sit behind. In the air behind Bernadotte a demon flies off to the left, with Joseph Bonaparte clutching his barbed tail. The latter, his crown flying off, looks back horrified, exclaiming "O! My poor Brother Nap oh oh! O!"."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Artist "G.H." identified as George Humphrey in the British Museum catalogue., and On verso, light impression of offsetting from another print.
Publisher:
Pubd. April 11th, 1814, by H. Humphrey, St. James's Strt
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, 1777-1825, Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821, Charles XIV John, King of Sweden and Norway, 1763-1844, Bonaparte, François-Charles-Joseph, Herzog von Reichstadt, 1811-1832, Marie Louise, Empress, consort of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1791-1847, Schwarzenberg, Karl Philipp, Fürst zu, 1771-1820, Blücher, Gebhard Leberecht von, 1742-1819, Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852, Francis I, Emperor of Austria, 1768-1835, Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, 1768-1844, Joachim Murat, King of Naples, 1767-1815, and William I, King of the Netherlands, 1772-1843
Subject (Topic):
Campaigns of 1813-1814, Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815, Carriages & coaches, Crowns, Demons, Emperors, Kings, Military uniforms, Tops (Toys), Victories, War allies, and Whipping
Title from dealer's description., Unsigned; attributed to Rowlandson., and Inscribed on verso: Names of the Ships taken by Lord Howe on 1st of June 1794, and brought into Portsmouth Harbour; Sans Pareille 84 Guns, L'America 74, Limpetue 84, Northumberland 84, Achille 76, La Vengeur 74.
Subject (Geographic):
Portsmouth (England)
Subject (Name):
Howe, Richard Howe, Earl, 1726-1799.
Subject (Topic):
First of June, Battle of the, 1794, Harbors, Warships, British, French, Crowds, Cannons, Carriages & coaches, Peg legs, and Victories
