Sketch for a Monument of Disappointed Justice.

James Gillray

Sketch for a Monument of Disappointed Justice.

London, H Humphrey, July 29^th 1806

Etching

Original hand colouring

345 x 245 mm

Slight staining in the margins

£750

The figures are placed in an alcove recessed in a wall of heavy stones. The massive Ellenborough in wig and gown sits on a wooden seat or plank supported by Sidmouth, Lauderdale, and Stanhope, with behind, the bent posteriors and massive legs of Grenville, who is otherwise hidden by Lauderdale and by a pan suspended from the seat. This seat is ‘Broad-Bottom Cabinet’ [cf. BMSat 10530], the pan (shaped like that of a commode) is ‘Privy Seat’. The plank rests on the shoulders of Sidmouth (l.) and Stanhope (r.); both are tall, thin, and elderly, their heads in profile to the right. The short and solid Lauderdale stands between them, with Ellenborough’s feet on his left. shoulder and on Stanhope’s r. arm. He is in Highland dress, holds a bonnet rouge, and stands on a large book: ‘Brissots Principles of Justice’. Sidmouth holds his cocked hat, and wears the Windsor uniform; in his pocket is a bottle labelled ‘Viper Drops’; beside him lies a clyster-pipe (cf. BMSat 9849). Beside Stanhope is an open book: on one page a picture of a boat, ‘Justitia’, exploding, with a pair of scales shot into the air; on the other: ‘The Catamaran of Justice – or the last Expedition to blow up All Opposition in spite of Wind & Tide.’ Ellenborough, directed to the right., holds up a pair of scales; the r. scale heavily outweighs the other; it contains a mitre and papers inscribed: ‘Decision of the Peers’, ‘Not Guilty’, ‘Eldon’, ‘Vote of the Bishops’, ‘Opinion of the Eleven Judges’. In the other are a frothing tankard of ‘Whitbr[ead’s] Entire’ [cf. BMSat 10421], and a paper: ‘Impeachment’; to these Ellenborough gloomily adds his ‘Sword of Justice’. Above his head is the inscription: ‘FIAT IN JUSTITIA RUAT CŒLUM’; the ‘in’ is partly concealed by shading.