A Dinner for John Bull

Anon
A Dinner for John Bull
London, Thomas Tegg June 6th. 1816
Etching
Original hand colouring.
260 x 360 mm
£220
A dinner table is set, at which a smiling, red-faced John Bull, sits at the extreme left corner, his plate before him, holding his knife and fork upright, ready to start his meal. He says; well the Table be Set out in Style I don’t like this old Scrag and I think The Beef is too Fat but to make up there’s a fine Sausage tho it’s a very expensive Artical yet as its german and fresh Imported I think Miss Bull will like it, by Goles that’s a Delicate Dunpling Indeed a Delicious Bit now to make all comfortable I must that Loaf down to the lower Shelf then I shall be better able to reach it —what rover has’t Pick’d thy Bone I don’t know when I shall have another vor thee.
Before him the table is set with various dishes, each one has a human head at the top of the dish. The first is Scrag of Mutton Strasburge Sauce, which stands vertically on the plate, next is a Plumb Dumpling, then a German Sausage, and Rump of Beef, surmounted by the King’s head.
Further towards the rear of the table is a bottle of Vinagar surmounted by a head with candles.
A dog climbs from the back of the table to take a bone for St. Helena which is topped by the head of Napoleon.
There are shelves on the wall at the right on which sits a loaf of Best Bread, a framed picture of A view of Waterloo hangs on the wall beside a window.
Not in BM Cat.