The Wolf & the Lamb – A Parody on Mr. Mulready's highly popular Picture

Art Historical Context

This 1838 lithograph, published by Thomas McLean and likely drawn by John Doyle with lithography by Alfred Ducôte, offers a witty political satire titled *The Wolf & the Lamb*. Created just months after Queen Victoria’s accession, the print parodies a popular painting by William Mulready, transforming its gentle fable into a pointed commentary on contemporary British politics. Figures such as Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, Lord Brougham, and the Duke of Wellington appear alongside the young queen, their interactions recast through the classic tale of power and vulnerability. Lithography was ideally suited to such topical works, allowing artists to produce affordable, widely circulated images that reached beyond elite circles. In the early Victorian period, these prints served as lively vehicles for public debate, blending humor with critique of parliamentary figures and royal influence. The sheet’s modest size made it easy to display in homes or shops, turning political discourse into shared visual entertainment. Today the work invites viewers to consider how caricature shaped national conversations during a time of transition and reform. Its clever layering of artistic reference and political allegory highlights the enduring role of satire in reflecting—and shaping—public opinion.

About the Artist

Alfred Ducôte|Henry Peter, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux|William Mulready|William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne|John Doyle|Thomas McLean|Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Queen Victoria (British|British|Irish) · 1788 |1830 |1797 –1875 |1840 |1868

British, 1788–1875|British, active 1830–40|Irish, Dublin 1797–1868 London