File:The National Assembly or Meeting of the Three Estates (BM 1868,0808.5907).jpg
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Captions
Summary
editThe National Assembly or Meeting of the Three Estates ( ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Title |
The National Assembly or Meeting of the Three Estates |
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Description |
English: A confused and crowded design representing the three estates (incorrectly) as King, Lords, and Commons in Parliament, the title evidently suggested by the meeting of the States-General in France. The members are travestied as animals, the principal ones having human heads and numbers which refer to notes beneath the design. A low barrier (left) divides the Commons from the Lords; on the extreme right is the throne, on which, curled up and asleep, is a lion with the head of George III, he is '1. The King of the Beasts'. The throne has a high canopy with long side curtains; it is decorated with loaves and crossed fishes (cf. BMSat 6915 &c), and also with a rose and thistle. The seat (a cushion) is on the uppermost of three platforms forming steps, each supported at the corners by loaves at which rats are nibbling. Behind the curtain on the extreme right is a dark figure with horns and hooves and apparently wearing Highland dress. He is '2. The Secret Beast' (a reversion to the long-lived belief in the influence of Bute, cf. BMSat 6005). On the steps of the throne is '3. A Jackall called Lupus Aureus, or the Golden-Wolf, said to be the Lion's provider - L - Jenkey' [Jenkinson, Baron Hawkesbury]. A prancing horse beside the throne with a star and ribbon inscribed 'P W' (Prince of Wales) is '4. The Principal of the Fox kind'. Next is a lobster standing erect wearing a ribbon inscribed 'D. Y.' He is '5. A Lobster - the flogging D------ [referring to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany]'. With his back to the throne, as if on the Woolsack, sits Thurlow as a bear, holding a paper: 'Speech', and a number of threads attached to the noses of a dense group of bears on their hind-legs who stand on his right. He is '6. A Bear, leading his accompanying Cubs by the Nose - Hurlo Thrumbo'. Beside him at the table is a small ugly bear wearing a judge's wig writing 'Beauties of Natural History'. Two judges are represented by spectacled birds wearing large wigs. Three small rats in the lower right corner, nibbling at loaves, are '7. Regency Rats'; one has a star and a ribbon inscribed 'L.M.' (the Marquis of Lothian, K.T., not Lord Moira), another a star and a ribbon inscribed 'D of Q' (Duke of Queensberry), see BMSats 7515, 7526. '9' is a ferret with a star and a ribbon inscribed 'D. of R.' (Richmond) crawling towards the throne. He is 'Ordinance Ferret.' Beside him is a cat, his tail inscribed 'L. C------m' (Chatham); he is '10. Jesuitical Tabby'. Flying between the Prince of Wales and the throne is a bird with the head of Lansdowne, and wearing a ribbon inscribed 'M.L'. He is '11. Bird of Peace - Maligrida' (an allusion to the peace of 1783, cf. BMSat 7150). The other peers are: '15. A Turkey - Viscount Gobble'; a stag with the head of Lord Derby is '16. A Stag', his antlers inscribed 'Maid of the Oaks', cf. BMSat 6668; a boar with a star and a ribbon inscribed 'Storm Mount' is '17. A Boar or Bore' (Lord Stormont, cf. BMSat 6796). '18' is a camel with the head of Portland, and a ribbon inscribed 'D------ of P------: 18. A Camel -of undoubted weight in Portland'. Next is a dromedary with the head of Norfolk: '19. A Dromedary - The Norfolk Farmer'. A peacock with a ribbon and star is '20. A Peacock from Carlisle' (Lord Carlisle). A crocodile seated at the table in back view, with the elongated judge's wig which indicated Loughborough (Wedderburn), is '21. A Crocodile. Lord Weatherturn.' On the farther side of the table is a phalanx of wolves with twisted tails like ram's horns who are '28. W-----ves in Sheep's Cloathing.' Above their heads is suspended a double mitre inscribed 'Pluralities' to show that they are the bishops.
Etching |
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Depicted people | Associated with: Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Date |
1790 date QS:P571,+1790-00-00T00:00:00Z/9 |
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Medium | paper | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Dimensions |
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Collection |
institution QS:P195,Q6373 |
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Current location |
Prints and Drawings |
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Accession number |
1868,0808.5907 |
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Notes |
(Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938) Pitt was much blamed for his lavish creation of peers (cf. BMSat 6631, &c.) which, however, did not increase the constitutional importance of the House of Lords. The momentous decision of the French States-General (27 June 1789) that the three estates should sit together instead of separately is extolled. (The three English estates are, more correctly, Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, and Commons). For the theme of the growing power of the House of Lords cf. BMSat 6436. Similar in character to BMSat 7682. |
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Source/Photographer | https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0808-5907 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Permission (Reusing this file) |
© The Trustees of the British Museum, released as CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 |
Licensing
editThis image is in the public domain because it is a mere mechanical scan or photocopy of a public domain original, or – from the available evidence – is so similar to such a scan or photocopy that no copyright protection can be expected to arise. The original itself is in the public domain for the following reason:
This tag is designed for use where there may be a need to assert that any enhancements (eg brightness, contrast, colour-matching, sharpening) are in themselves insufficiently creative to generate a new copyright. It can be used where it is unknown whether any enhancements have been made, as well as when the enhancements are clear but insufficient. For known raw unenhanced scans you can use an appropriate {{PD-old}} tag instead. For usage, see Commons:When to use the PD-scan tag. Note: This tag applies to scans and photocopies only. For photographs of public domain originals taken from afar, {{PD-Art}} may be applicable. See Commons:When to use the PD-Art tag. |
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Date/Time | Thumbnail | Dimensions | User | Comment | |
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current | 10:10, 9 May 2020 | 1,600 × 959 (577 KB) | Copyfraud (talk | contribs) | British Museum public domain uploads (Copyfraud/BM) Satirical prints in the British Museum 1790 #2,241/12,043 |
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Orientation | Normal |
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Horizontal resolution | 300 dpi |
Vertical resolution | 300 dpi |
Software used | Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 |
File change date and time | 11:27, 25 August 2006 |
Color space | Uncalibrated |