Miss, I have a monstrous crow to pluck with you!
Print
1794
1794
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A seated figure, apparently a man in woman's dress, points accusingly at a young and visibly pregnant woman. Underneath the table at which the man is seated, a large crow exclaims 'OH TOO BAD'. Addressing the young woman as 'Miss' in the title of the print indicates that she is pregnant outside marriage, which would have been a serious scandal at the time of the print's production.
The term 'monstrous crow' is derived from the 'Mother Goose' tales published in popular chapbooks during the 18th century, and referrred to an argument or quarrel. It is not clear why the seated figure should be a cross-dressing man, identifiable as such by his physique and visible facial stubble - it is possible that this apparent social satire may be a political allegory.
The term 'monstrous crow' is derived from the 'Mother Goose' tales published in popular chapbooks during the 18th century, and referrred to an argument or quarrel. It is not clear why the seated figure should be a cross-dressing man, identifiable as such by his physique and visible facial stubble - it is possible that this apparent social satire may be a political allegory.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Miss, I have a monstrous crow to pluck with you! (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Hand-coloured |
| Brief description | Satirical print, 'Miss, I have a monstrous crow to pluck with you!' by James Gillray, London, 1794 |
| Physical description | A seated figure, apparently a man in woman's dress, points accusingly at a young and visibly pregnant woman. Underneath the table at which the man is seated, a large crow exclaims 'OH TOO BAD'. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Limited edition |
| 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 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | A seated figure, apparently a man in woman's dress, points accusingly at a young and visibly pregnant woman. Underneath the table at which the man is seated, a large crow exclaims 'OH TOO BAD'. Addressing the young woman as 'Miss' in the title of the print indicates that she is pregnant outside marriage, which would have been a serious scandal at the time of the print's production. The term 'monstrous crow' is derived from the 'Mother Goose' tales published in popular chapbooks during the 18th century, and referrred to an argument or quarrel. It is not clear why the seated figure should be a cross-dressing man, identifiable as such by his physique and visible facial stubble - it is possible that this apparent social satire may be a political allegory. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1232:94-1882 |
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| Record created | June 8, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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