Anticipation, or, The approaching fate of the French Commercial Treaty

Image not available
James Gillray
1756-1815
Anticipation, or, The approaching fate of the French Commercial Treaty
etching, hand colored
plate mark: 248 x 360 mm; sheet: 248 x 353 mm
Peel 2579
Published: 
[London] : Pubd. Jany. 16th 1787 by Mrs. Jackson, Mary-le-bone Street, Golden Square, [1787]
Provenance: 
Formerly owned by Sir Robert Peel.
Notes: 

Title etched below image.
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue and Wright.
Sheet closely trimmed to image within plate mark.

Summary: 

"The interior of the House of Commons, the Speaker in his chair, the two clerks, Hatsell and Ley, writing at the table on which is the mace. The members are represented by dogs, some having human faces; in the foreground four ministerial hounds (left) and four opposition leaders (right) tear violently at a paper inscribed 'Commercial Treaty'. On the right benches opposition hounds are in hungry cry after their leaders, on the left the ministerialists are gnawing bones with eyes fixed on the contest. The four Government dogs, who have human faces, are Pitt, a lean greyhound, his collar inscribed 'Fawning-Billy'; next him Dundas, his collar 'Treasurer Navy'; next Pepper Arden, his collar 'At. Gen', and last, Archibald Macdonald, his collar 'Sol. G.' Opposite these are North, wearing his ribbon, gnawing greedily, and Fox tearing ferociously (these two have quasi-human heads), Burke, a dog wearing spectacles, and Sheridan, his collar inscribed 'Sc. for Scan[dal]'. Three yelping puppies fawn on Fox, one of whom is probably intended for Grey. Behind the Speaker's chair stand members of the House of Lords, scandalized at the uproar. Spectators look down from the galleries."--British Museum online catalogue.

Artist page: 
Century: 
Classification: 
Department: