Caption title.
Lettered "Pubd Decr 1810 by Walker & C° 7 Cornhill."
Sarah (or "Saartjie") Baartman was a Khoikhoi woman born circa 1788 near Cape Town, South Africa. She was brought to Britain in 1810 by her employer, Hendrik Cesars, and the English doctor William Dunlop, where she was exhibited for financial gain and subsequently sold in 1814 to animal trainer S. Reaux, who exhibited her in Paris under increasingly degrading circumstances until her death in 1815. This print is one of a series of political caricatures which exploit Baartman's image to attack members of Great Britain's former national unity or "Broad Bottom" government (also known as the "Ministry of All the Talents"), led by William Grenville who had served as Prime Minister from February 11, 1806 to March 31, 1807.
The exhibition in London of the African woman Sartje, also known as Sarah Baartman, coincided with anticipations (on account of the King's illness) that Perceval's Ministry would fall and be replaced by Grenville and his Broad Bottom Ministry.
Grenville (left) and Sarah Baartman advance towards each other with outstretched arms; behind her is a well-dressed man, evidently a showman who had been exhibiting her on a basis of half-profits. In Grenville's pocket is a 'List of the new Admin ...' Behind him and on the extreme left are Ministers looking disconsolately at the meeting. Grenville says: "My dear Sartje I come to congratulate you you are going to trade on your own bottom I find, I expect soon to be in the same situation myself". She answers: "Ah! glad of dat broder Broady, good ting! me got only half my bottom belong to me no do much good wid dat". The showman clenches his fists angrily, saying, "Curse it I'm so vexed that I have a great mind to dissolve partnership and make her purchase the other half". Behind Grenville is Perceval, sulkily clutching the Chancellor of the Exchequer's gown which he wears, with Wellesley (Foreign Secretary) just behind him. The latter says: "If his Bottom once gets into business again we may dissolve partnership!" Perceval answers: "Aye and I shall be obliged to part with this comfortable cloak for all weathers". Ryder (Home Secretary) looks over their shoulders, saying, "and I must turn Out Ryder" [commercial traveller]. The undifferentiated and partly hidden head of Eldon says: "To turn out in my opinion will not be wEldone". Baartman wears a cap, cloak, bead trimmings, &c., but she wears tight-fitting garments, instead of being nude. Her staff and pipe lie on the ground