THOMAS ROWLANDSON (1757-1827)
Filial Piety!
25 Nov 1788RCIN 810287
Most satires on the regency debates concentrated on the character of the Prince, but here Rowlandson, strikingly, shows the unwell King. The Prince and two of his cronies are dancing into the room. Despite the shocking nature of the image, the word ‘mad’ or ‘dead’ has been omitted from the Prince’s speech bubble. During his father’s illness, the Prince’s drunken behaviour was widely criticised. Prints like this one contributed to his poor public image.
Probably purchased by Queen Victoria, 1854
Cat. 20
Bibliographic reference(s)
BM Satires : Catalogue of political and personal satires preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum ... 11 v. in 12. BM Satires 7378