The Old Man, His Son, and His Ass; or, Any Thing to please You.
Pubd Septr. 30 1800 by G Thompson N:13 Long Lane West ['Smithfield' almost erased.]
Hand coloured etching, 370 x 470mm. 14½ x 18½". Centrefold crease; one hole to left side of image. Closed tear just into upper centre of plate. Some foxing/staining and rather tatty extremities.
Satire echoing Aesop's fable on the impossibility of pleasing everyone at once: an old man, a young boy and a donkey in sequence of scenes represented on winding road among cottages, mill, river and trees; text below in five columns. A fine example of a popular print on a popular theme. The publisher George Thompson (trading 1796 - 1839) was one of several to use the same basic image, and probably the same plate was recycled by several printers. This appears to be taken from the same plate which was published in 1793 by J. Evans (also on Long Lane), for which see British Museum 1992,0620.3.6.
[Ref: 21368] £320.00
Hand coloured etching, 370 x 470mm. 14½ x 18½". Centrefold crease; one hole to left side of image. Closed tear just into upper centre of plate. Some foxing/staining and rather tatty extremities.
Satire echoing Aesop's fable on the impossibility of pleasing everyone at once: an old man, a young boy and a donkey in sequence of scenes represented on winding road among cottages, mill, river and trees; text below in five columns. A fine example of a popular print on a popular theme. The publisher George Thompson (trading 1796 - 1839) was one of several to use the same basic image, and probably the same plate was recycled by several printers. This appears to be taken from the same plate which was published in 1793 by J. Evans (also on Long Lane), for which see British Museum 1992,0620.3.6.
[Ref: 21368] £320.00