A smoking club

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James Gillray
1756-1815
A smoking club
[London] : Pubd H Humphrey St James's St, Feby 13th 1793
Bequest of Gordon N. Ray, 1987.
1986.519
Published: 
[London] : Pubd H. Humphrey St. James's St., Feby. 13th 1793
Provenance: 
From the library of Gordon N. Ray.
Summary: 

Print shows Pitt and Dundas, Fox and Sheridan face each other across a long narrow table, smoking long pipes and puffing clouds of smoke in each other's faces. The gallery of the House of Commons is indicated in the background. At the head of the table (left) in a raised arm-chair (in the manner of the chairman at a tavern-club) sits a man in the hat, wig, and gown of the Speaker (Addington), 'cogitating' between the parties. He puffs smoke at both Treasury and Opposition benches. Pitt, on the Speaker's right, holds a frothing tankard inscribed 'G.R' and directs a cloud of smoke at Fox, who puffs back. Before Fox is a tray of pipes and a paper of tobacco, implying that he excels in abuse. On the extreme right Dundas, a plaid across his coat, puffs at Sheridan seated close to Fox; he has a punch-bowl inscribed 'G.R' in which he dips a ladle.

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