Ministers sit at a round dinner-table guzzling guineas, while through the window is seen a hungry mob. Pitt, in profile to the left, sits on the right, a large fish made of guineas on a dish before him, of which he shovels huge lumps into his gaping mouth; he sits on a 'Treasury' chest which is closed by a padlock inscribed 'WP'. Opposite him on the extreme left, seated on the woolsack, is Loughborough, indicated by an elongated Chancellor's wig in back view; he clutches a large bowl of 'Royal Turtle Soup', holding a large ladle-full of guineas to his mouth. The others sit on the farther side of the table: Grenville next Loughborough, Dundas in the middle, Pepper Arden next Pitt. Grenville stoops, putting his mouth on the level of his dishful of guineas. Dundas, wearing a plaid, gnaws a fish which he holds in both hands. Arden, between Pitt and Dundas, holds a lump of coins on his fork. Between him and Dundas are three bottles labelled 'Bur[gundy]', 'Champaign', 'Port'. On the table are sauce-boats and small dishes full of guineas. Before Dundas are two glasses of wine. At the near side of the table, between Loughborough and Pitt, is a group of three sacks on each side of which is a large wine-cooler filled with bottles. Behind (right), three steaming dishes are being brought in, held high by footmen (their heads obscured): a haunch of venison, a sirloin, and a large bird. They wear, not livery, but the Windsor uniform, and the symmetrical pair immediately behind Pitt are probably the two Treasury Secretaries, Rose and Long (this is supported by Gillray's 'Lilliputian Substitutes' (1801)).
Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.
Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.
Substitutes for bread, or, Right honorables, saving the loaves, & dividing the fishes / Js. Gy. d. et ft.
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James Gillray
1756-1815
Substitutes for bread, or, Right honorables, saving the loaves, & dividing the fishes / Js. Gy. d. et ft.
hand colored etching
image: 23.7 x 33.9 cm; plate: 24.7 x 34.8 cm; sheet: 35.7 x 35.9 cm
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan, 1900.
Peel 2899
Published:
[London] : H. Humphrey, 1795.
Provenance:
Formerly owned by Sir Robert Peel.
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