Caption title.
Sarah (or "Saartjie") Baartman was a Khoikhoi woman born circa 1788 near Cape Town, South Africa. She was brought to Britain in 1810 by her employer, Hendrik Cesars, and the English doctor William Dunlop, where she was exhibited for financial gain and subsequently sold in 1814 to animal trainer S. Reaux, who exhibited her in Paris under increasingly degrading circumstances until her death in 1815. This print is one of a series of political caricatures which exploit Baartman's image to attack members of Great Britain's former national unity or "Broad Bottom" government (also known as the "Ministry of All the Talents"), led by William Grenville who had served as Prime Minister from February 11, 1806 to March 31, 1807.
Copy with underlining below the words "never despair" and misspellings corrected, with no imprint.
A political cartoon featuring a racist caricature of the young Khoikhoi woman Sarah Baartman, who is shown standing in profile to the left, back to back with Grenville, who is in (old-fashioned) court dress, and looks at her over his shoulder. Both figures are drawn with pronounced, protruding buttocks. Sheridan, half-kneeling, is between and behind them, using a pair of compasses to measure the projection of the woman's posterior. Grenville says: "Well I never expected Broad Bottoms from Africa! but one should never dispair!! mind Sherry dont let your Firey Nose touch the Venus for if there's any Conbustibles about her we shall be blown up!!!" In his pocket is a paper inscribed 'Chanselor'. Sheridan answers, with a grin: "I shall be Careful your Lordship! but such a Spanker it beats your Lordship's hollow".