The sting of liberty / engraved by Seymour ; Welsh.
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Robert Seymour
1798-1836
The sting of liberty / engraved by Seymour ; Welsh.
wood engraving
3 1/2 x 2 5/8 inches
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan, 1900.
Peel 2161a
Published:
[London] : [William Strange], [ca. 1834]
Provenance:
Formerly owned by Sir Robert Peel.
Notes:
Probably detached from one of four issues of Whiggeries and waggeries, London : William Strange, 1834. This publication reprinted wood engravings by Robert Seymour, Robert Cruikshank, and others which had previously appeared-- often with different captions-- in Figaro in London, also published by Strange. The identical image appeared in Figaro in London, no. 35, 1832, with the title A sting for liberty.
Summary:
King William IV, with webbed wings, is a scaly serpentine monster from the waist downwards, terminating in a barbed tail inscribed 'Hanover'. He clasps the shrieking Liberty round the waist, kissing her cheek while he gashes her with his tail.
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