The bear and his leader

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The bear and his leader. Grenville (r.) displays a dancing bear with the head of Fox enclosed in a muzzle. He holds a chain attached to the muzzle and a long heavy staff. The bear obediently and clumsily repeats the dancing-step of his master. He holds in both paws his bonnet rouge trimmed with tricolour, and tramples upon two torn and discarded songs. The bear and Grenville face each other in profile; the latter is neatly dressed, wearing top-boots with round hat and bag-wig. In his pocket is a book. The rest of the troupe is on the left, behind the bear's back. An ape with the head of Lord Henry Petty, and wearing the gown of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, capers in time, clasping the bear's stump of tail, and holding up, with a delighted grin, a fool's cap trimmed with bells. The music is provided by Sidmouth, a ragged fiddler, with a patch over eye. He stands on the pavement, his head in profile to the right, wearing cocked hat, bag-wig, and Windsor uniform, with tattered breeches, and a foot projecting through a remnant of boot. His r. knee rests on a wooden leg or stump. In his pocket hangs a paper. On the wall behind him are three bills (BM). Artist: Gillray, James, 1756-1815. Date: May 19, 1806. Sourced from Digital Commonwealth website.
CaptionThe bear and his leader. Grenville (r.) displays a dancing bear with the head of Fox enclosed in a muzzle. He holds a chain attached to the muzzle and a long heavy staff. The bear obediently and clumsily repeats the dancing-step of his master. He holds in both paws his bonnet rouge trimmed with tricolour, and tramples upon two torn and discarded songs. The bear and Grenville face each other in profile; the latter is neatly dressed, wearing top-boots with round hat and bag-wig. In his pocket is a book. The rest of the troupe is on the left, behind the bear's back. An ape with the head of Lord Henry Petty, and wearing the gown of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, capers in time, clasping the bear's stump of tail, and holding up, with a delighted grin, a fool's cap trimmed with bells. The music is provided by Sidmouth, a ragged fiddler, with a patch over eye. He stands on the pavement, his head in profile to the right, wearing cocked hat, bag-wig, and Windsor uniform, with tattered breeches, and a foot projecting through a remnant of boot. His r. knee rests on a wooden leg or stump. In his pocket hangs a paper. On the wall behind him are three bills (BM). Artist: Gillray, James, 1756-1815. Date: May 19, 1806. Sourced from Digital Commonwealth website.
Creator
Artwork medium1 print: hand-colored etching; sheet 23 x 32 cm
CreditBoston Public Library
Terms of useNo known copyright restrictions
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