Unsigned coloured caricature of the Duke of Wellington, entitled 'The Hampshire Hog, or the Virtuous General retreating from his Position'.

Author: 
S. W. Fores, London printseller [Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington; English political satire; satirical prints; Georgian caricature]
Publication details: 
Pub Jan. 29 1821 by S W Fores 41 Piccadilly'.
£200.00
SKU: 6890

NOT in George. Dimensions of paper 27.5 x 41 cm. Dimensions of image 20.5 x 31.5. On aged, grubby paper with wear to extremities. Image entire, but with one closed tear intruding from right across 3 cm of the blue background, and three closed tears (the longest 4cm) horizontally across a central vertical crease. A splendid full-length figure of Wellington (entirely undamaged), in full military uniform, with boots, red coat with gold epaulettes, white breeches, gloves, and sword, flees, hands in air and plumed hat falling to the ground, from a giant pig with three human heads. The pig is saying 'What? call a Meeting of a County legally convened - A Farce?', to which Wellington replies 'no no not a Farce a Comedy no, a Tragedy - a Melo Drama D-n it any thing but a Farce, no, I was thinking on the Bill.' Unsigned: possibly a proof. The context of the print is unclear, but Wellington's country residence was Stratfield Saye House, near Basingstoke, Hampshire.