Not currently on display at the V&A

James Gillray : The Suppressed Plates

Print
1782 (first published), ca. 1850 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Two plates from an album containing 45 numbered prints on wove paper, the majority printed two per page, recto only. The top plate is oval in shape, entitled 'Evacuation before Resignation' depicting Lord John Cavendish; Charles James Fox; Charles Watson-Wentworth, the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham; Thomas Powys, 1st Baron Lilford; and Edmund Burke. The Prime Minister, the Marquess of Rockingham, is depicted defecating into a toilet marked 'Publick Resevoir' and vomiting into a hat held by Edmund Burke, who kneels before the minister whilst the other three figures stand behind. Lettered with captions, title, and the original publisher's name, date, and address.

The second print on the same page is entitled 'The Injured Count, S.' and depicts Mary Eleanor Lyon (née Bowes), the Countess of Strathmore, seated at a table and breast-feeding two cats. A child behind her recoils with the caption 'I wish I was a cat. My mama would love me then'. A group of women are seated around the same table drinking wine, some holding cleaning utensils. Lettered with captions,title, original publisher's name and address, and numbered '2'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • James Gillray : The Suppressed Plates (popular title)
  • Evacuation before Resignation (assigned by artist)
  • The Injured Count S. (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Print on wove paper
Brief description
Two plates from an album of 40 'suppressed' caricatures featuring sexual, scatalogical and politically outrageous subject matter by James Gillray (1756-1815). Issued mid-19th century.
Physical description
Two plates from an album containing 45 numbered prints on wove paper, the majority printed two per page, recto only. The top plate is oval in shape, entitled 'Evacuation before Resignation' depicting Lord John Cavendish; Charles James Fox; Charles Watson-Wentworth, the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham; Thomas Powys, 1st Baron Lilford; and Edmund Burke. The Prime Minister, the Marquess of Rockingham, is depicted defecating into a toilet marked 'Publick Resevoir' and vomiting into a hat held by Edmund Burke, who kneels before the minister whilst the other three figures stand behind. Lettered with captions, title, and the original publisher's name, date, and address.

The second print on the same page is entitled 'The Injured Count, S.' and depicts Mary Eleanor Lyon (née Bowes), the Countess of Strathmore, seated at a table and breast-feeding two cats. A child behind her recoils with the caption 'I wish I was a cat. My mama would love me then'. A group of women are seated around the same table drinking wine, some holding cleaning utensils. Lettered with captions,title, original publisher's name and address, and numbered '2'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 63.5cm
  • Sheet width: 48.3cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Publ. May 21, 1782, by H. Humphrey New Bond Street (Lettered underneath the first print)
  • Publ. by C. Morgan, Holles Street, Cavendish Square (Lettered underneath the second print)
Credit line
Gift from the Ministry of Justice
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
E.685:3-2014

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Record createdOctober 21, 2014
Record URL
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