With a large woodcut below the title and preceding the letterpress text: Madamoiselle Javellot is shown on stage flanked on either side by chandeliers wtih her performing dogs in costumes in front and a musician in the background, left, behind the curtain.
707.00.00.01
Acquired September 2018
A series of ten prints showing the Welsh men, women and children in a variety of settings, mostly in rural landscapes with trees and wooden fences.
724 804T
Acquired September 2018
“A scene in the Empress’s dressing-room. Marie Louise is horror-struck at the appearance of Napoleon who advances towards her in profile astride the back of a crawling Mameluke; he is held up by two other Mamelukes who support his arms and shoulders. He is terribly emaciated and appears moribund. He wears uniform; his legs, feet, and hands are swathed in bandages, his (former) ear and nose covered with black patches. The crawling Mameluke, presumably Roustan, holds out a bottle containing a pointed nose, and labelled ‘Le Nez de l’Empereur’. Immediately behind Napoleon and his three supporters are two kneeling Mamelukes, each reverently holding a tasselled cushion supporting a bottle; one being labelled ‘Les Doights [sic] de l’Empereur Napole . . .’, the other, ‘Les Oreilles de l’Empereur Napoleon’. Behind them (left) another Mameluke advances with a bottle labelled ‘Les Doights du pied de l Empereur Bon . . .’ The Mamelukes wear Turkish dress with turbans. Napoleon looks in tragic silence at his wife, who is seated in regal state but turns aside weeping with violent gestures of despair. A small terrestrial globe decorates her chair; her foot rests on a stool in the form of a flattened polar hemisphere on which the word ‘Brit[ain]’ is visible. Over her low-cut dress is an ermine-bordered robe clasped with a fleur-de-lis. She is supported by an emaciated court-lady, with a patched face, proffering a smelling-bottle, whose profile and a small crown show that she is one of Napoleon’s sisters; two other ladies, wearing crowns, stand behind the Empress, registering consternation. A less conspicuous lady weeps. On the Empress’s right kneels the Governess of the King of Rome, Mme de Montesquiou, holding the screaming child, and weeping noisily. He registers angry terror at the sight of his father; his little crown has fallen off. His features, though fore-shortened and distorted, resemble those of his father, cf. British Museum Satires No. 11719. He wears an ermine-trimmed robe over his childish tunic and breeches. Behind the Governess is a draped dressing-table, the drapery decorated by a large fleur-de-lis, and the toilet boxes ornamented with crowns. A terrified monkey climbs up the mirror, clutching at the crown which surmounts it, and looking over its shoulder at the shocking spectacle presented by the Emperor. On the extreme right a lap-dog stands on a cushion barking furiously at Napoleon. On the ground on the extreme left are two large round coffers, one inscribed ‘Coffre Pour la Bijoutère [sic] Russe’, the other expectantly open. Voluminous draperies on the left and right, supported on the right by a pillar add to the regal character of the room.”–British Museum online catalogue.
813.02.22.01+
Acquired June 2018
A satire on the puritanical message of strictly observing the Sabbath. A puritan stands on a barrel marked ‘St. Andrew’, his arms held out making a cross. He cries: ‘Clear the Streets of all Evil doers – Remember ye keep Severely Strict the Sabbath day…’ Surrounding him, portly puritans carrying clubs attack people going about their Sunday business.
833.04.09.01+
Acquired March 2018
An old man sits outdoors in an upholstered chair, looking through a telescope which is pointed up left to a black woman standing on a cliff with her dress pulled up and her large derrière bared. A dog sits by the man’s chair with a similar look on its face as it too looks up at the woman.
797.05.08.02+
Acquired May 2017
“A muzzled bear sits up, as if begging, on a fat woman who lies on her back. She says: “Gemini! what a Weight! my poor dear Mr Dripping was quite a Feather to him”. The bear’s keeper (right) raises his club, saying, “Down Bruin! I’ll teach you to ride the high Horse”. A dog (right) springs towards the bear. A man (left) runs off, saying, “D——m me I’ll be off! . . . [etc.]”.”–British Museum online catalogue.
801.12.20.03
Acquired November 2017
A satire, divided into quarters, with four small scenes of different episodes of persons trying to collect their Christmas boxes. In the first square in the upper left, a plump supplicant in an apron holds out his hat to a scowling-faced man with a kerchief tied over his hat and a walking stick under his arm as they meet in a road outside a building with a lamp. Behind him on the wall is a sign posted “Miser’. In response to the request, the miser says “Give you a Christmass box. Curse you don’t I pay you for your meat.” On the top row, right, a thin man (a grave digger?) with a pipe in his mouth, bows to an obese clergyman, with a fat dog at his heel, as they stand in the graveyard of a church. The gravedigger asks, “Most worthy Parson give me a Christmass box.” The Parson replies, “Give you a halter you rascal. What should I give you a Christmass box for.” In the lower left, clergyman shakes his walking stick at a surprised man who is carrying a large box on his back and secured with a strap over his forehead. The clergyman says to the laborer, “If you ever ask me for a Christmass box again, I’ll physic you to death.” They are standing in front of building with a lantern and sign that reads “Gargle Apothycary.” The fourth square, lower right, shows old, hag-faced woman with a hat and muff standing in a parlor as she slaps the face of an astonished footman. She tells him, “Take that you saucy rascal for a Xmass box!” He replies, “What’s that for. I did not want a box on the ear, not I.”
794.12.25.02+
Acquired May 2017
“The head and shoulders of the dog, who has a handsome collar inscribed ‘John Bull’, project into the design from the right. One paw presses down a rat with the head of Wellington, who looks up in anguish at the dog’s angry jowl. Behind are other frightened rats with human heads: a bloated bishop, Peel, Wetherell, Eldon, Cumberland, and two others. The rats have been robbing the barn of ears of wheat.”–British Museum online catalogue.
Catalog Record & Digital Collection
Folio 75 G750 823 no. 7
Acquired November 2016
A dustman bends over a large woman who has fallen and lifts her by placing his hands under her arms. She looks up angerly and shakes her fist at the dustman’s young assistant in an apron who looks on (left) with a smile and hand raised. Two dogs jump around the group.
Catalog Record &Digital Collection
Drawings N736 no. 6
Acquired August 2016
“John Bull, a fat “cit”, is beset by descending water covered with the word ‘Tax’, many times repeated, in which dogs, cats, and pitchforks fall with violence. His eyes and spectacles are transfixed by a pitchfork inscribed ‘Window Tax’; the shaft of another inscribed ‘Malt & Hops Tax’ sticks in his bleeding mouth, dislodging teeth. His paunch is pierced with a third fork; the handle, inscribed ‘Tax …’ [&c. &c], supports an angry cat, spitting ‘Tax …’ Another falling cat knocks off his wig, which emits a cloud of powder inscribed ‘Powder Tax’. His gouty feet, in slashed shoes, are stabbed by three pitchforks: ‘Corn Laws’ [the biggest, cf. British Museum Satires No. 15510]; ‘Leather Tax’; ‘Land Tax’. A ‘Dog Tax’ strikes down J. B.’s dog, its collar inscribed ‘Poor Tray’. Another dog worries a cat (left). J. B. holds up a derelict umbrella, inscribed ‘Trade’, pierced by many prongs and useless.”–British Museum online catalogue.
Catalog Record & Digital Collection
830.03.20.02+
Acquired May 2016
Recent Antiquarian Acquisitions 