| Method | Etching |
| Artist | James Bretherton after Henry William Bunbury |
| Published | Publish'd 20th March 1773, New Bond Street No. 134 |
| Dimensions | Image 198 x 305, Plate 232 x 317, Sheet 247 x 331 mm |
| Notes |
Two men bow toward each other in a town square. The portlier of the two struggles to bend, his large stomach an obstruction. Beneath the design is engraved 'Macaroni & other soups hot every day'. The word 'macaroni' is used here as wordplay, and refers to the two well-dressed gentlemen. 'Macaronies' could be found in London's Houndsditch area from the mid-eighteenth century. The term referred to the the group of highly fashionable individuals who dressed and spoke in an outlandishly affected manner in the period. The term pejoratively refers to a man who exceeded the ordinary bounds of fashion in terms of clothes, fastidious eating, and gambling. James Bretherton (fl. 1750-1799) was an etcher, dealer and publisher in London. His brother was Charles Bretherton and is particularly associated with Henry William Bunbury, many of whose works he engraved and published. His stock of plates was auctioned in 1799. Henry William Bunbury (1750–1811) was an English caricaturist. He was the second son of Sir William Bunbury, 5th Baronet, of Mildenhall, Suffolk. He was educated at Westminster School and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and soon showed a talent for drawing, especially for humorous subjects. His more serious efforts were no great success, but his caricatures are as famous as those of his contemporaries Thomas Rowlandson and James Gillray. His designs were usually etched by Darly and Bretherton, and (from 1780s) Dickinson. Ex. Col: Brigadier Noël Louis St Pierre Bunbury DSO (1890–1971) BM Satires 4716 Condition: Time toning. Glue stains to corners. Slight surface dirt. Backed to sheet. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £130.00 |
| Stock ID | 45691 |