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Direct scan of object
THE PRESENT STATE OF GREAT BRITAIN.
Direct scan of object

THE PRESENT STATE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Date1779
Publisher
Engraver
OriginEngland, London
MediumBlack and white line engraving
DimensionsOH: 10 1/2" x OW: 15 1/2"; Plate H: 9 7/8" x W: 15 1/4"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1960-73
DescriptionThe lower margin reads: "THE PRESENT STATE OF GREAT BRITAIN./ Pub'd by W. Humphrey N.o 227 Strand/ J. Phillips Fecit"

Standing half-asleep, John Bull, representing Great Britain, holds a pole with a liberty cap that Indian America is stealing. A Dutchman is robbing John Bull of his purse, symbolic of the trade Holland had gained while England was embroiled in wars. A Frenchman rushes toward Bull from the other side but is halted by a figure in Scottish attire. England was actively recruiting troops in Scotland at the time. However, the Scottish were reluctant to participate in the war, and are seldom pictured defending England.ProvenanceBefore 1960, H. Dunscombe Colt [1901-1973] (New York, NY); before 1960, purchased by the Old Print Shop (New York, NY); 1960-present, purchased by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA).