Inscribed at lower right, in pen and black ink, "George Cruickshank"; inscribed in pen and brown ink, "A Wapping Sweetheart: Why I declare Poll! You have growed / out of all compass!!! / People do tell me / as I do grow / Stout, Thomas"
George Cruikshank, who lived during a time of turbulent politics, was the son of a noted artistic satirist, Isaac Cruikshank (1748-1811). The political situation into which the younger Cruikshank was born offered good targets for caricature, the genre in which he excelled. During Cruikshank's lifetime Britain had freedom in the press, in theory, but newspapers, which were expensive, could be fined or taxed for their attacks on political corruption. The comical and satirical prints of Cruickshank and his elders, including his father, Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827), and James Gillray (1757-1815), thus became popular printshop items. In addition to Rowlandson and Gillray, Cruikshank was influenced by his predecessor, William Hogarth (1697-1764).
It is possible that the present sheet relates to Cruikshank's self-published serial, "My Sketchbook," that was comprised of large folio sheets bound together and issued by a Fleet Street bookseller, Charles Tilt, between 1834 and 1836. The Morgan's drawing takes a similar subject to "A Wapping Lady," which itself was published on 1 December 1834 in number 6 of "My Sketchbook." It could be that the present drawing was produced by the artist for a collector or a friend. It is signed, and five figural heads on the lower portion of the sheet are unfinished.
McCrindle, Joseph F., former owner.
Cruikshank 200 : an exhibition to celebrate the bicentenary of George Cruikshank. John Wardroper, 1992.