State of the Giraffe

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Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case GG, Shelf 73

Artist/Maker	McLean, Thomas (publishers) Heath, William (artist)
Place of origin	London (published)

Caricature of a sickly-looking giraffe, wearing stockings and shoes on its forelegs, being raised in a windlass by King George IV and his mistress Lady Conyngham. George's jacket lies discarded on the floor, and there is a box of medicines on the right-hand side of the image.

Object details

Categories	Prints Caricatures & Cartoons Royalty Animals and Wildlife
Object type	Print
Title	State of the Giraffe (published title)
Materials and techniques	etching and watercolour Water-Colour Etching Hand-Colouring
Brief description	Caricature, 'State of the Giraffe', hand-coloured etching by William Heath, published by Thomas McLean, London, ca. 1829
Physical description	Caricature of a sickly-looking giraffe, wearing stockings and shoes on its forelegs, being raised in a windlass by King George IV and his mistress Lady Conyngham. George's jacket lies discarded on the floor, and there is a box of medicines on the right-hand side of the image.
Dimensions	Height: 10.875in Width: 15in Dimensions taken from Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1923, London: Board of Education, 1925.
Marks and inscriptions	Pub by T McLean 26 Haymarket where political and other caricature are daily Pub Little hope is now entertaind of the recovery of the Giraffe - since the last attack he is unable to rise without the assistance of slings - every attention is paid him but tis' feard without effect / Morning papers (caption) I supose [sic] we shall have to pay for stuffing him next (caption in left border of print, above a symbol of Paul Pry in the bottom left corner)
Credit line	Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh
Subjects depicted	Giraffes Windlass Medicine Winches George IV Conyngham
Place depicted	Windsor
Bibliographic reference	Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1923, London: Board of Education, 1925.
Collection	Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number	E.98-1923

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Record created	June 30, 2009
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O772208/state-of-the-giraffe-print-mclean-thomas/

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