The wounded lion [graphic].

Published/Created:

[London]
Pubd. July 16th, 1805, by H. Humphrey, 27 St. James's Street
[16 July 1805]

Copyright Date:

[16 July 1805]

Physical Description:

1 print : etching on wove paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 25.7 x 36.1 cm, on sheet 30 x 42 cm

Related Links:

Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 8, no. 10421
Wright, T. Works of James Gillray, the caricaturist with the history of his life and times, p. 321-322
Wright, T. Historical and descriptiv

Notes:

Title etched below image.
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue.
Three lines of quoted text following title: "And now, all the sculking herd of the forest, some out of insolence, others in revenge ..." Vide, Aesop's fables.
Alfred Bowditch Collection; December 1966; Acquisitions no.: 966-12-9-74.
Mounted to 31 x 43 cm.

Abstract:

"The lion, with the face and wig of Melville, lies gazing up, blood falling on the papers under his paws: 'Plans for Manning tfthe Navy - List of ships built in 1804 ... of ye Line'; 'Abolition of Impress'. He is struck down by the blast from a blunderbuss whose muzzle is a tankard inscribed 'Whitbreads Entire'. This is fired by St. Vincent who crouches (left) behind a withered tree. The blast issues from a circle of froth inscribed 'Report'. Part of it, inscribed 'Condemnation without Trial', passes above the lion and strikes Britannia to the heart. She is leaning against an ancient but flourishing oak on the extreme right. The blast that strikes Melville is inscribed 'Invectives', 'Popular Clamour', 'Envy', 'Disappointed Jacobins', 'Malice'. On the upper part of the withered tree sits a monkey with the head of Wilberforce, holding up an open book: 'Solution of Vital Xianity', but directing at Melville a blast from his posteriors inscribed 'Cant! - Envy! - Abuse! - Hypocrisy! - Cruelty.' Three asses are kicking up their heels at Melville as they scamper off towards the mountainous background. The nearest has the head of Sidmouth, with ass's ears. He is laden with panniers inscribed 'Physick for the Lion.'; these are heaped with medicine-bottles, one labelled 'Emetic for ye Lion'; there are also a 'Clyster for the Lion', and a box of 'opening Pills' (cf. BMSat 9849), The other asses are Hily Addington and Bragge, cf. BMSat 9986. The latter (right) turns his head to say: "Very highly indebted to the Lion, brother Heeley!" His panniers are inscribed 'Provisions for the Doctors Family' and 'Trifles procured thro' the Lions Generosity'; they are piled high with papers: 'Pension to Brother Brag &...'; 'Annuity to all our Cousins'; '£40000 pr Ann'; 'Sinecure'; 'Pension for Aunts'; 'Pension for Brother Hely'; 'Pension'. The other ass (Hiley) answers: "Then give him another kick, Brother Braggey". He is laden with a sack of 'Candid Whorehound'. The lion is also assailed by a fox (Fox) who viciously bites his hindquarters, and by a serpent with the head of Grey (Whitbread's brother-in-law) who bites his neck. Three small rats, wearing legal wigs and bands (right), run viciously toward the lion; they are (left to right): Jekyll (see BMSat 9179), Erskine, and Robert Adair, an ardent Foxite, cf. BMSat 7158. A dog, its collar inscribed 'Kinard' (Kinnaird), bites the lion's tail, while one foot is in a plate containing a bare bone, and inscribed 'Melville-Castle' with a coronet."--British Museum online catalogue.

Associated Names:

Gillray, James, 1756-1815 [Printmaker]
Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817 [Publisher]

Topics:

Erskine, James Francis, 1743-1806
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806
Grey, Charles Grey, Earl, 1764-1845
Kinnaird, Charles Kinnaird, Baro
Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811
Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844
Wilberforce, William, 1759-1833

Language:

English

Genre:

Etchings -- England -- London -- 1805
Satires (Visual works) -- England -- 1805
Watermarks (Paper) -- J. Ruse

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Prints & Photographs

Rights:

These images are provided for study purposes only. For publication or other use of images from the Library's collection, please contact the Lewis Walpole Library at walpole@yale.edu. Further details on the Library's photoduplication policy are available at http://www.library.yale.edu/walpole/html/research/rights_reproductions.html

Call Number:

805.07.16.01+

Orbis Record:

8510625

Yale Collection:

Lewis Walpole Library

Digital Collection:

Lewis Walpole Library

Local Record Number:

lwlpr10557

Volume/Enumeration:

Digital version

OID:

15813790

PID:

digcoll:2782810