Current Location: In storage
Titles
The Abatement
HB Sketches No. 52
Maker(s)
Printmaker:
Doyle, John (HB)
Publisher:
McLean, Thomas
Entities
Categories
Description
Lithograph (uncoloured) on white wove paper. Inlaid within a frame of buff wove paper (approx. height 360mm x width 515mm). A group of five figures in an interior, two seated centrally at a table, a drawing of the new stone-fronted elevation of Apsley House (the Duke of Wellington's residence) with the title' Plan for a Palace' propped up near the fireplace at lower left and a framed picture of Windsor Castle hanging on the wall at upper centre. Wellington (Duke of Wellington; Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852; Prime Minister from 1828 to 1830) stands to the left, his back to the fire, a speech bubble (faint) contains the text: 'I feel for poor Bull's distresses, altho' / I don't think they are nearly so great / as he imagines but you know _Goldbairn_ / we must find money to support My Lord's / dignity & not forgetting ourselves - to pay / the heavy charges on the Estate; as however / we promised the unfortunate fellow some / _abatement_ you may return him a Shilling !!!'. Goulburn (Henry Goulburn, 1784-1856) sits at the table laden with coins and money bags and holds out a coin to 'Bull' (John Bull). A speech bubble (faint) contains the text: 'You hear what My Lord's / Steward says - I am to / return you a shilling'. The figure of John Bull seated opposite exclaims (inside faint speech bubble): 'Anan!'. Two male figures at the far right, the Treasury Secretaries, Planta (Joseph Planta, 1787–1847) and Dawson (George Robert Dawson, 1790-1856) confide in one another, with text inside faint speech bubbles above: figure on left (Planta?): 'It can't be of any / relief to him to be / sure, but then it must / be such a consolation / to him _to see so good / a disposition_.'.; figure on right (Dawson?): 'How good / of Master! / It is more than / I expected / he'd do'. The title printed below the border: 'THE ABATEMENT'. The publisher's details printed below, the lower part of the text cropped by the edge of the paper: '[Pubd by] THOMAS McLEAN, [26 Haymarket, 26th Feby, 1830]'. Handwritten in graphite at upper right: '52'. See 16045,_Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires_, Vol. XI, 1828-1832, M.D. George, published 1954, pp. 267. A number '[52]' printed in square brackets in the right-hand margin on p. 267 relates to the handwritten number at upper right, both referencing the sequence of John Doyle's Political Sketches series.
Legal notes
Given by Mrs J.E. Foster, 1895
