Occasionally Bunbury drew in a broader style of caricature, especially in some of his later works. Of our examples of this broader style, the first cut, No. 217, entitled “Strephon and Chloe,” is dated the 1st of July, 1801. It is the very acme of sentimental courtship, expressed in a spirit of drollery which could not easily be excelled. The next group (cut No. 218), from a similar print published on the 21st of July in the same year, is a no less admirable picture of overstrained politeness. It is entitled in the original, “The Salutation Tavern,” probably with a temporary allusion beyond the more apparent design of the picture. Bunbury, as before stated, died in 1811. It is enough to say that sir Joshua Reynolds used to express a high opinion of him as an artist.
No. 218. A Fashionable Salutation.
Bunbury’s prints rarely appeared without his name, and, except when they had passed through the engraving of Rowlandson, are easily recognised. No doubt his was considered a popular name, which was almost of as much importance as the print itself. But a large mass of the caricatures published at the latter end of the last century and the beginning of the present, appeared anonymously, or with imaginary names. Thus a political print, entitled “The Modern Atlas,” bears the inscription “Masr Hook fecit;” another entitled “Farmer George delivered,” has that of “Poll Pitt del.” “Everybody delinit,” is inscribed on a caricature entitled “The Lover’s Leap;” and one which appeared under the title of “Veterinary Operations,” is inscribed “Giles Grinagain fect.” Some of these were probably the works of amateurs, for there appear to have been many amateur caricaturists in England at that time. In a caricature entitled “The Scotch Arms,” published by Fores on the 3rd of January, 1787, we find the announcement, “Gentlemen’s designs executed gratis,” which means, of course, that Fores would publish the caricatures of amateurs, if he approved them, without making the said amateurs pay for the engraving. But also some of the best caricaturists of the day published much anonymously, and we know that this was the case to a very great extent with such artists as Cruikshank, Woodward, &c, at all events until such time as their names became sufficiently popular to be a recommendation to the print. It is certain that many of Woodward’s designs were published without his name. Such was the case with the print of which we give a copy in our cut No. 219, which was published on the 5th of May, 1796, and which bears strongly the marks of Woodward’s style. The spring of this year, 1796, witnessed a general disappointment at the failure of the negociations for peace, and therefore the necessity of new sacrifices for carrying on the war, and of increased taxation. Many clever caricatures appeared on this occasion, of which this by Woodward was one. Of course, when war was inevitable, the question of generals was a very important one, and the caricaturist pretends that the greatest general of the age was “General Complaint.” The general appears here with an empty purse in his right hand, and in his left a handful of papers containing a list of bankrupts, the statement of the budget, &c Four lines beneath, in rather doggrel verse, explain the situation as follows:—
Don’t tell me of generals raised from mere boys,
Though, believe me, I mean not their laurel to taint;
But the general, I’m sure, that will make the most noise,
If the war still goes on, will be General Complaint.
No. 219. General Complaint.