La politesse franc̦oise, or, The English ladies petition to His Excellency the Mushroom Ambassador

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Thomas Rowlandson
1756-1827
La politesse franc̦oise, or, The English ladies petition to His Excellency the Mushroom Ambassador
etching, hand colored
image: 144 x 238 mm; plate mark: 198 x 252 mm; sheet: 198 x 251
Peel 2478
Provenance: 
Formerly owned by Sir Robert Peel.
Notes: 

Printmaker from George.
Concerning the French ambassador, Comte d'Adhémar.
Ten lines of verse in two columns beneath caption title: With clasped hands and bended knees, They humbly sought the Count to please, And beg'd admission to his house, Not that for him they care'd a louse, But wish'd within his walls to shine, And shew those charms they think divine, His Ex beheld these Belles unmov'd, His A--e their impudence reproved, Cannaille he said shoud ne'er come there & rumped them with a pet en l'air.

Summary: 

"A French petit-maître stands 'chapeau-bras' (left), in profile to the left, bending forward, his left hand in his breeches pocket, his right hand raised. Behind him are five ladies on their knees, making gestures of supplication. He wears bag-wig, laced suit, and sword. The ladies, who are young and pretty, wear feathered hats or feathers in their hair. He says, "parblue Mesdames vous n'y viendrez pas."--British Museum online catalogue.

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