Presages of the Millenium; With the destruction of the faithful . . .

Item Details

London, Henry Bohn, 1850 (ca.), Print

Second edition, Very good

Hand-colored edition of one of Gillray's most famous prints - also one of his most vicious, and that is saying a lot. In the late 1840s the London publisher Henry Bohn acquired from Gillray's widow the original copper plates from which his prints were struck, and permsision to reissue them. These are distinguished from the originals by being on machine-made paper, bearing a number in the upper right corner (in this case no. 50), and omitting the original legally required ""as the act directs" printer's credit. We have to lean heavily on sources to understand what is going on in this macabre scene; suffice it to say that William Pitt is the horseman. The Morgan Library, whose copy of the original was owned by Sir Robert Peel, gives a thorough writeup of the cast of characters. An interesting feature of this restrike is that there is a slight variation in color. The person lying on his back in the lower right corner clutching a peace proposal is William Wilberforce, remembered today for his opposition to slavery. In the original he is wearing a striped coat, whereas in this version his coat is green. Wilberforce and Pitt were actually very close friends, but had fallen out over differences regarding war with France. In those days butchers wore striped coats, and putting him in one may have made him look even more silly. We have two other Bohn restrikes, inquire if interested.  This one is hinged on a cheap mat, the others we have are loose. Please note that prints are subject to VAT in the UK.