Another of these caricatures represents Law in the character of Don Quixote, riding upon Sancho’s donkey. He is hastening to his Dulcinia, who waits for him in the actie huis (action or share-house), towards which people are dragging the animal on which he is seated. The devil (see our cut No. 193), sits behind Law, and holds up the ass’s tail, while a shower of paper, in the form of shares in companies, is scattered around, and scrambled for by the eager actionnaires. In front, the animal is laden with the money into which this paper has been turned,—the box bears the inscription, “Bombarioos Geldkist, 1720,” “Bombario’s (Law’s) gold chest;” and the flag bears the inscription, “Ik koom, ik koom, Dulcinia,” “I come, I come, Dulcinia.” The best, perhaps, of this lot of caricatures is a large engraving by the well-known Picart, inserted among the Dutch collection with explanations in Dutch and French, and which was re-engraved in London, with English descriptions and applications. It is a general satire on the madness of the memorable year 1720. Folly appears as the charioteer of Fortune, whose car is drawn by the representatives of the numerous companies which had sprung up at this time, most of which appear to be more or less unsound. Many of these agents have the tails of foxes, “to show their policy and cunning,” as the explanation informs us. The devil is seen in the clouds above, blowing bubbles of soap, which mix with the paper which Fortune is distributing to the crowd. The picture is crowded with figures, scattered in groups, who are employed in a variety of occupations connected with the great folly of the day, one of which, as an example, is given in our cut No. 194. It is a transfer of stock, made through the medium of a Jew broker.
No. 193. The Don Quixote of Finance.
No. 194. Transfer of Stock.
It was in this bubble agitation that the English school of caricature began, and a few specimens are preserved, though others which are advertised in the newspapers of that day, seem to be entirely lost. In fact, a very considerable portion of the caricature literature of a period so comparatively recent as the first half of the last century, appears to have perished; for the interest of these prints was in general so entirely temporary that few people took any care to preserve them, and few of them were very attractive as pictures. As yet, indeed, these English prints are but poor imitations of the works of Picart and other continental artists. A pair of English prints, entitled “The Bubbler’s Mirrour,” represents, one a head joyful at the rise in the value of stock, the other, a similar head sorrowful at its fall, surrounded in each case with lists of companies and epigrams upon them. They are engraved in mezzotinto, a style of art supposed to have been invented in England—its invention was ascribed to Prince Rupert—and at this time very popular. In the imprint of these last-mentioned plates, we are informed that they were “Printed for Carington Bowles, next ye Chapter House, in St. Paul’s Ch. Yard, London,” a well-known name in former years, and even now one quite familiar to collectors, of this class of prints, especially. Of Carington Bowles we shall have more to say in the next chapter. With him begins the long list of celebrated English printsellers.
CHAPTER XXIV.
ENGLISH CARICATURE IN THE AGE OF GEORGE II.—ENGLISH PRINTSELLERS.—ARTISTS EMPLOYED BY THEM.—SIR ROBERT WALPOLE’S LONG MINISTRY.—THE WAR WITH FRANCE.—THE NEWCASTLE ADMINISTRATION.—OPERA INTRIGUES.—ACCESSION OF GEORGE III., AND LORD BUTE IN POWER.
With the accession of George II., the taste for political caricatures increased greatly, and they had become almost a necessity of social life. At this time, too, a distinct English school of political caricature had been established, and the print-sellers became more numerous, and took a higher position in the commerce of literature and art. Among the earliest of these printsellers the name of Bowles stands especially conspicuous. Hogarth’s burlesque on the Beggar’s Opera, published in 1728, was “printed for John Bowles, at the Black Horse, in Cornhill.” Some copies of “King Henry the Eighth and Anna Bullen,” engraved by the same great artist in the following year, bear the imprint of John Bowles; and others were “printed for Robert Wilkinson, Cornhill, Carington Bowles, in St. Paul’s Church Yard, and R. Sayer, in Fleet Street.” Hogarth’s “Humours of Southwark Fair” was also published, in 1733, by Carington and John Bowles. This Carington Bowles was, perhaps, dead in 1755, for in that year the caricature entitled “British Resentment” bears the imprint, “Printed for T. Bowles, in St. Paul’s Church Yard, and Jno. Bowles & Son, in Cornhill.” John Bowles appears to have been the brother of the first Carington Bowles in St. Paul’s Churchyard, and a son named Carington succeeded to that business, which, under him and his son Carington, and then as the establishment of Bowles and Carver, has continued to exist within the memory of the present generation. Another very celebrated printshop was established in Fleet Street by Thomas Overton, probably as far back as the close of the seventeenth century. On his death his business was purchased by Robert Sayers, a mezzotinto engraver of merit, whose name appears as joint publisher of a print by Hogarth in 1729. Overton is said to have been a personal friend of Hogarth. Sayers was succeeded in the business by his pupil in mezzotinto engraving, named Laurie, from whom it descended to his son, Robert H. Laurie, known in city politics, and it became subsequently the firm of Laurie and Whittle. This business still exists at 53, Fleet Street, the oldest establishment in London for the publication of maps and prints. During the reign of the second George, the number of publishers of caricatures increased considerably, and among others, we meet with the names of J. Smith, “at Hogarth’s Head, Cheapside,” attached to a caricature published August, 1756; Edwards and Darly, “at the Golden Acorn, facing Hungerford, Strand,” who also published caricatures during the years 1756-7; caricatures and burlesque prints were published by G. Bickham, May’s Buildings, Covent Garden, and one, directed against the employment of foreign troops, and entitled “A Nurse for the Hessians,” is stated to have been “sold in May’s Buildings, Covent Garden, where is 50 more;” “The Raree Show,” published in 1762, was “sold at Sumpter’s Political Print-shop, Fleet Street,” and many caricatures on contemporary costume, especially on the Macaronis, about the year 1772, were “published by T. Bowen, opposite the Haymarket, Piccadilly.” Sledge, “printseller, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden,” is also met with about the middle of the last century. Among other burlesque prints, Bickham, of May’s Buildings, issued a series of figures representing the various trades, made up of the different tools, &c, used by each. The house of Carington Bowles, in St. Paul’s Churchyard, produced an immense number of caricatures, during the last century and the present, and of the most varied character, but they consisted more of comic scenes of society than of political subjects, and many of them were engraved in mezzotinto, and rather highly coloured. Among them were caricatures on the fashions and foibles of the day, amusing accidents and incidents, common occurrences of life, characters, &c., and they are frequently aimed at lawyers and priests, and especially at monks and friars, for the anti-Catholic feeling was strong in the last century. J. Brotherton, at No. 132, New Bond Street, published many of Bunbury’s caricatures; while the house of Laurie and Whittle gave employment especially to the Cruikshanks. But perhaps the most extensive publisher of caricatures of them all was S. W. Fores, who dwelt first at No. 3, Piccadilly, but afterwards established himself at No. 50, the corner of Sackville Street, where the name still remains. Fores seems to have been most fertile in ingenious expedients for the extension of his business. He formed a sort of library of caricatures and other prints, and charged for admission to look at them; and he afterwards adopted a system of lending them out in portfolios for evening parties, at which these portfolios of caricatures became a very fashionable amusement in the latter part of the last century. At times, some remarkable curiosity was employed to add to the attractions of his shop. Thus, on caricatures published in 1790, we find the statement that, “In Fores’ Caricature Museum is the completest collection in the kingdom. Also the head and hand of Count Struenzee. Admittance, 1s.” Caricatures against the French revolutionists, published in 1793, bear imprints stating that they were “published by S. W. Fores, No. 3, Piccadilly, where may be seen a complete Model of the Guillotine—admittance, one shilling.” In some this model is said to be six feet high.