State Butchers
Medium
Hand-colored etching
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 10 5/16 × 14 7/8 in. (26.2 × 37.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.533.2053
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in the turbulent political climate of late 18th-century Britain, *State Butchers* is a hand-colored etching that captures the sharp wit of Georgian satire. Dated January 28, 1789, the print brings together prominent figures including William Pitt the Younger, Lord Thurlow, and the Prince of Wales, portrayed in a scene that lampoons their roles in state affairs. The medium of etching, often hand-tinted for wider circulation, allowed artists to reach a broad audience with timely commentary on current events. The work reflects the intense partisan debates surrounding the Regency Crisis o...
About the Artist
Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow|William Pitt|Thomas Rowlandson|Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney|Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville|Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton|George, Prince of Wales (British|British|British) · 1759 |1731 |1757 –1806 |1806 |1827
British, 1759–1806|British, Norfolk 1731–1806 Brighton|British, London 1757–1827 London