The Irish Footman
Print
25/03/15
25/03/15
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Seated in a chair and showing signs of gout (a disease associated with excessive consumption of rich food and wine), a wealthy man shouts at his Irish servant, who has dragged a large sundial in from the garden. The master has ordered the servant to set his watch by checking it against the sundial. The servant, not understanding how the sundial works, has brought both it and the watch inside for the master to do it himself.
There was a significant population of Irish people in 18th and 19th century London, many of whom worked in domestic service. They were often the target of satires, which stereotyped them as lacking intelligence and being unable to comprehend English accents.
There was a significant population of Irish people in 18th and 19th century London, many of whom worked in domestic service. They were often the target of satires, which stereotyped them as lacking intelligence and being unable to comprehend English accents.
Object details
Object type | |
Title | The Irish Footman (published title) |
Materials and techniques | Hand-coloured etching |
Brief description | Satirical print, 'The Irish Footman' after George Moutard Woodward, London, 1808. |
Physical description | A wealthy man, seated and bearing the signs of gout, shouts at his servant who has dragged a stone sundial into the room with a fob watch hanging from it. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
Object history | Object originally bound in a guard-book containing one hundred and fifteen caricatures by T. Rowlandson, W. Heath, J. Gillray, R. Dighton, G. Cruikshank and others |
Summary | Seated in a chair and showing signs of gout (a disease associated with excessive consumption of rich food and wine), a wealthy man shouts at his Irish servant, who has dragged a large sundial in from the garden. The master has ordered the servant to set his watch by checking it against the sundial. The servant, not understanding how the sundial works, has brought both it and the watch inside for the master to do it himself. There was a significant population of Irish people in 18th and 19th century London, many of whom worked in domestic service. They were often the target of satires, which stereotyped them as lacking intelligence and being unable to comprehend English accents. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 1232:61-1882 |
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Record created | June 8, 2009 |
Record URL |
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