Details

Subject(s)

• Caricature [Browse]
• Great Britain. Navy—Officers—19th century—Caricatures and cartoons [Browse]
• Gambling—Great Britain—Caricatures and cartoons [Browse]
• Toys—Great Britain—Caricatures and cartoons [Browse]
• Great Britain. Royal Navy—Sea life—Caricatures and cartoons [Browse]

Notes

• Medium: Etchings, Hand coloring
• Depiction: It appears from this print...that the inactivity of our commanders at sea was attracting popular censure. In the plate we find the admiral and his commodore devoting their energies to gambling with a child's toy. Scattered around and trodden upon unheeded are plans of fortifications to be bombarded, the charts of oceans to be navigated, and rough draughts for the arrangement of the ships at the beginning of a sea fight, such as we find Nelson drew up for the guidance of his captains before going into action on the eve of his glorious victories. regarding their puerile dispositions with an air of disgust and distress.
• Item description: Possibly first published 1785 under another title: "Sea Amusement".
• Signed in plate, lower left: "T. Rowlandson 1785".

Source acquisition

Gift of Dickson Q. Brown, Princeton University Class of 1895.

Statement on responsible collection description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...