English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the Nineteenth Century.: How they Illustrated and Interpreted their Times.Everitt, Graham
History
English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the Nineteenth Century.: How they Illustrated and Interpreted their Times.
Everitt, Graham
Caricature -- Great Britain; Illustration of books -- Great Britain -- 19th century
A good idea of the appearance and costume of "the general" and
notables of the early part of the century, is given by the sketches of
the last century artist, Robert Dighton. His etchings are not
caricatures, as may be supposed, but likenesses of the _oi polloi_--the
university dons--the prize-fighters--the butchers--the
singers--actors--actresses--the men about town ("Corinthians," as they
were termed in the slang of the Regency)--the "upper ten"; and what
amazingly queer folks were these last! The Duke of Grafton, with his
tremendous beak, wig, and cocked hat, his mahogany tops and spurs, his
long coat with the flapped pockets and his star; the Marquis of
Buckingham, with his red fat face and double chin, which told tales of
nightly good cheer, his cocked hat, military coatee, and terrific
paunch, which resisted all attempts to confine it within reasonable
military compass; John Bellingham--the murderer of Spencer
Perceval,--with his retreating forehead, long pointed nose, drab cloth
coat and exuberant shirt frill; "What? What? What?"--Great George
himself, as he appeared in 1810, in full military panoply--huge
ill-fitting boots, huge blue military coat, collar, lappets, and star, a
white-powdered bob surmounting a clean-shaved unintellectual face, the
distinguishing characteristics of which were a pair of protruding eyes
surmounted by ponderous eyebrows.
A well-drawn caricature published by S. W. Fores on the 11th of May,
1801, gives us an admirable idea of the male and female costume of the
period. It contains sixteen figures, and is entitled _Tea just Over, or
the Game of Consequences begun_. "Consequences" would appear to have
been a fashionable game at this time; but the "consequences" here
alluded to are the immediate results of a pinch of snuff. The
"consequences" of one gentleman sneezing are the following: he jerks the
arm of the lady next him, the result being that she pours her cup of
scalding hot tea over the knees of her neighbour, a testy old gentleman,
who in his fright and pain raises his arms, jerking off with his cane
the wig of a person standing at the back of his chair, who in the
attempt to save his wig upsets his own cup and saucer upon the pate of
his antagonist Another guest, with his mouth full of tea, witnessing
this absurd _contretemps_ is unable to restrain his laughter, the
result of which is that he blows a stream of tea into the left ear of
the man who has lost his wig, at the same time setting his own pigtail
alight in the adjoining candle. All these disasters, passing in rapid
succession from left to right, are the direct "consequences" of one
unfortunate pinch of snuff.
MASTER BETTY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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