Despair

James Gillray

Despair

London, H Humphrey, April 8^th 1802

Etching

Original hand colouring.

250 x 200 mm

Trimmed within platemark

£480

Robson speaks in the House of Commons, with outstretched arms: “We’re all ruinated, Sir! – all diddled, Sir!! – abus’d by Placemen, Sir!!! – Bankrupts all, Sir! – not worth Sixteen Pounds, Ten Shillings, Sir! – “. From his coat pocket project bundles of papers: ‘Ignorance of ye Old Administration’; ‘Stupidity of ye New Administration’; ‘Charges against the Ministry’. In his hat, on the seat behind him, are other bundles: ‘Ministerial Tricks’, ‘Plunders’, ‘Blunders’, ‘Collusion’; ‘Impeach[ment]’; ‘Punishm[ent]’. Behind him, and next his vacant seat, sits Tyrwhitt Jones, listening with a fierce scowl, a pen in his mouth, his hat beside him; he holds a bulky sheaf of ‘Notes’. Behind these two are Horne Tooke and Burdett (right), listening intently, Burdett turning towards his mentor. The other Opposition benches within the design, which shows a corner of the table on the extreme left, are empty