Title etched below image.
Attributed to Rowlandson in the British Museum catalogue.
Reissue by William Humphrey of a plate originally published by Elizabeth Darchery; Darchery's name and address have been burnished from imprint statement and replaced with those of Humphrey. Cf. No. 6520 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 6.
The Duchess of Devonshire (right), in profile to the left, kisses a fat butcher, putting her arms round his shoulders. She wears a hat trimmed with feathers and ribbons. A plump woman approaches the butcher from the left holding out her arms and shouting "Huzza - Fox for Ever". Her dress, with uncovered breast, suggests that she is a courtesan. [Grego suggests that she may be the Duchess of Gordon, but the duchess, like Mrs. Hobart (also plump), was opposed to Fox. Anti-Fox newspaper paragraphs did their best to suggest that the ladies who canvassed for Fox were of bad character, e.g.: 'Among the fairest of the fair canvassers on the part of the 'Man of the People', none was more successful than the 'Corbina' alias the 'White Crow', not the 'Bird of Paradise' [Mrs. Mahon], nor the 'Perdita' [Mrs. Robinson], sent so many polls to the Hustings.' Quoted in 'Westminster Election', 1784, p. 232. 'Lady Grosvenor, Lady Dornhoff, Lady Cr - [Craven], just come from Paris, and Lady Worsley, are among the canvassers who have the modesty to attempt to dictate to the honest tradesman and independent citizen.' 'Ibid.', p. 240. Cf. British Museum Satires No. 6546, &c.] Behind (left) a man wearing jack-boots holding a butcher's tray under his arm advances towards the group, waving his hat and shouting. Cf. British Museum online catalogue.