The British Butcher' cartoon
TitleThe British Butcher' cartoon
ReferenceFRAMED/536
Date
6 Jul 1795
Production date 1795-07-06 - 1795-07-06
Scope and ContentFrom Catalogue of political and personal satires preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum: vol 7
'James Gillray, Published July 6th 1795. by H. Humphrey No 37. New Bond Street, Engraving (coloured impression).
Pitt (r.), as a butcher, stands arrogantly behind his block, holding up a leg of mutton to a hungry, lean, and dismayed John Bull, who stands with bent knees (l.), his r. hand groping in his breeches pocket. Pitt says: 'A Crown,-take it, or leave't'. His cleaver lies on his blood-stained block, on the front of which are two placards side by side headed: 'Prices of Provision. 1795' and 'Journeymans Wages-1795'. Behind Pitt is the pent-house roof of the shop or stall from the front of which hang joints of meat and pieces of offal. The lower story of a house forms a background (l.). John Bull wears the dress and wrinkled gaiters of a yokel. Beneath the title:
'Billy the Butcher's advice to John Bull.
Since Bread is so dear, (and you say you must Eat,)
For to save the Expence, you must live upon Meat;
And as Twelve Pence the Quartern you can't pay for Bread
Get a Crown's worth of Meat,-it will serve in its stead.'
The high price of food, especially of wheat owing to the bad harvest of 1794, caused great distress and many riots in 1795. Many proposals were made for substitutes for wheat, &c.'
On the rear:
What a Cur'tis. Done from a drawing by a British Officer and published as a guide to preferment
'James Gillray, Published July 6th 1795. by H. Humphrey No 37. New Bond Street, Engraving (coloured impression).
Pitt (r.), as a butcher, stands arrogantly behind his block, holding up a leg of mutton to a hungry, lean, and dismayed John Bull, who stands with bent knees (l.), his r. hand groping in his breeches pocket. Pitt says: 'A Crown,-take it, or leave't'. His cleaver lies on his blood-stained block, on the front of which are two placards side by side headed: 'Prices of Provision. 1795' and 'Journeymans Wages-1795'. Behind Pitt is the pent-house roof of the shop or stall from the front of which hang joints of meat and pieces of offal. The lower story of a house forms a background (l.). John Bull wears the dress and wrinkled gaiters of a yokel. Beneath the title:
'Billy the Butcher's advice to John Bull.
Since Bread is so dear, (and you say you must Eat,)
For to save the Expence, you must live upon Meat;
And as Twelve Pence the Quartern you can't pay for Bread
Get a Crown's worth of Meat,-it will serve in its stead.'
The high price of food, especially of wheat owing to the bad harvest of 1794, caused great distress and many riots in 1795. Many proposals were made for substitutes for wheat, &c.'
On the rear:
What a Cur'tis. Done from a drawing by a British Officer and published as a guide to preferment
Extent1 framed item
Physical descriptionDimensions (H X W): 336mm X 255mm
Persons keywordGillray, James, Pitt, William (1759-1806)
Conditions governing accessOpen
Levelfile
Normal locationAA Framed Box 3 (Cellar)