A Charade
Print
April 1808
April 1808
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This print satirises General Whitelocke, who commanded an unsuccessful British expedition to seize Buenos Aires from the Spanish in 1806-07. Whitelocke was disgraced by accusations of incompetence and cowardice, and dismissed from the Army on his return. In this print, the general is not named directly, but the riddle below the title alludes to him. The artist, Charles Williams, has signed himself as 'Cap't Bobadil', the name of a cowardly fencing master character in Ben Jonson's play 'Every Man in his Humour'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | A Charade (published title) |
| Materials and techniques | Hand-coloured etching |
| Brief description | Satirical print, 'A Charade' by Charles Williams, London, 1808 |
| Physical description | The figure of General John Whitelocke (1757-‐1833) hides behind the trunk of a large oak tree. Dressed in uniform, he has removed his bicorne hat and sheathed sword, which lie beside him on the ground. Whitelocke wears an anxious expression. He is obscured from view by a fallen branch. The background shows a rural landscape of morass and mountains. |
| 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 | This print satirises General Whitelocke, who commanded an unsuccessful British expedition to seize Buenos Aires from the Spanish in 1806-07. Whitelocke was disgraced by accusations of incompetence and cowardice, and dismissed from the Army on his return. In this print, the general is not named directly, but the riddle below the title alludes to him. The artist, Charles Williams, has signed himself as 'Cap't Bobadil', the name of a cowardly fencing master character in Ben Jonson's play 'Every Man in his Humour'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1232:42-1882 |
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| Record created | June 8, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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