Caption title; etching signed "George Cruikshank" within the plate.
Illustration by George Cruikshank for Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist", published in v. 5, p. 160 (facing), of Bentley's miscellany as an illustration for the serialized text of Dickens' novel (issued Feb. 1837-Mar. 1839), and as a frontispiece plate to v. 3 of the first edition in book form (London : Richard Bentley, 1838), which appeared some six months prior to the completion of the serialized work. This plate evidently extracted from an unidentified copy of the novel.
Print shows Bill Sikes on the sloping tiled roof of a house, gripping a rope tied around a chimney to prevent himself from falling. His dog stands upon the crest of the roof, while occupants of the neighboring houses crane their necks out of windows to observe the scene.