Bold Jack! pray, what's the business to-day?... (alternate title: Europe in her present disordered state.)

• Price: $975.00
  

  SKU: 86486

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• ARTIST:

• MEDIUM: Copper plate engraving,

  DATE: c. 1780.

• EDITION SIZE: Image size, 6 1/8 x 8 5/8" (15.5 x 21.8 cm) plus text and margins.

• DESCRIPTION: Satirical image with printed poem beneath. No artist, engraver or publishers name given. Likely a Dutch production. <br><br> The overall message of the print deals with English and Dutch banking interests. The image depicts an Englishman, Jack, teetering on an ornate chest, representing the British bank, held aloft in the sky by the horn of a celestial unicorn. On the ground to the right, a Frenchman pulls on the leg of Jack, threatening his balance. A crutched Spaniard kneels next to Frenchman, amused by the scene. On top of the chest, an Indian cherub, representing America, has one hand on the Englishman's arm, while admonishing him with a raised finger. On the ground to the left is a Dutchman, holding onto the other leg of the chest, attempting to keep the Englishman from falling. The Dutchman is turned and shown conversing to an accountant, seated among piles of money and goods, with an open account book before him. In the distance are several windmills and men milking cows. Below the image, a poem is printed in English on the left side and Dutch on the right. A portion of the poem reads: "Amazing Fool - ! yet tottering on thy bench, Tho' scorn'd by Spain, and cozen'd by the French -- . Only the Dutch, not laughing at your nose, Good-natur'd helps, to snatch what-e'er you lose."<br><br> There are three identified states or variations of the print. First version as noted above. Second state with the names “Washington” and “B. Franklin” added beneath the two lower figures on the right. (Washington depicted pulling on the Englishman’s leg, Franklin kneeling beside him.) Third state with Washington and Franklin’s names removed and an engraved moss and stone mantle surrounding the image and the text block is now on a stone tablet.

• ADDITIONAL INFO: First state.

• CONDITION: Good condition. Black and white.

• REFERENCE: Dolmetsch "Rebellion and Reconiliation" #68.

• CATEGORIES: 18th-19th Century Subjects , Caricatures and Satirical , Caricatures