A Nocturnal Reverie: P.14659-R

Current Location: In storage

Titles

A Nocturnal Reverie
HB Sketches No. 57

Maker(s)

Printmaker: Doyle, John (HB)
Publisher: McLean, Thomas

Entities

Satirical print

Description

Lithograph (uncoloured) on white wove paper. Inlaid within a frame of buff wove paper (approx. height 360mm x width 515mm). An interior scene in the bedroom of the Duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852; Prime Minister from 1828 to 1830) who lies in bed with a nightcap on his head, propped up on his right elbow and holding a document in his right hand. He looks out at the moon shining into the room from the undraped window opposite. Printed speech at upper centre: '"How many thousands of my fellow subject's [sic] / "Are at this hour Asleep"! To satisfy / The hopes and expectations of them all / A thankless task! Beyond a mortals pow'r / Why should I spend these weary hours of night / In meditative thoughts and watchful cares? / 'Tis for my country's good. Enough - Enough!'. The artist's initials in monogram at lower right: 'HB'. Title printed below the border: 'A NOCTURAL REVERIE.'. The publisher's details printed below: 'Published March 20 1830 by THOMAS McLEAN 26 Haymarket'. Handwritten in graphite at upper right: '57'. See 16072,_Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires_, Vol. XI, 1828-1832, M.D. George, published 1954, pp. 277. A number '[57]' printed in square brackets in the right-hand margin on p. 277 relates to the handwritten number at upper right, both referencing the sequence of John Doyle's Political Sketches series.