Shrine at St Ann's Hill, 26 May 1798
Scope and Contents
Artist: James Gillray. Published: Hannah Humphrey. Fox kneels in profile to the right with bent back before an altar, his hands together. His unpowdered hair is cropped. From his pocket projects a book: 'New Constitut[ion]'. The altar, draped with a cloth on which crossed daggers are embroidered, is raised on a stone step. On it is a guillotine, dripping blood. To this is tied with a tricolour sash two tables, resembling those of the Ten Commandments, but of the 'DROIT DE L'HOMME: I. Right to Worship whom we please. II. Right to create and bow down to any thing we chuse to set up. III. Right to use in vain any Name we like. IV. Right to work Nine Days in the Week, and do what we please on the Tenth: V. Right to honor both Father and Mother, when we find it necessary. VI. Right to Kill. VII. Right to commit Adultery. VIII. Right to Plunder. IX. Right to bear what Witness we please. X. Right to covet our Neighbour[s] House and all that is his.' On the altar in front of the guillotine stand three roughly made posts on rectangular pedestals. The centre one (in place of a crucifix), inscribed 'Exit Homo', is surmounted by a large cap of 'Egalité' with a tricolour cockade; at its base is a skull and cross-bones. On the other posts are busts: (left) 'Robert- \ speire'; to the post are nailed two bleeding hands; (right) 'Buona \ -parte'. The altar and guillotine are backed by draped and fringed curtains. From the upper left corner of the design a shaft of light surrounded by clouds descends towards Fox. In this are the winged heads of six members of the Opposition, all wearing bonnets-rouges and looking towards the 'Droit de l'Homme'. In front is Norfolk, next and on the left is Lansdowne with an inscrutable smile. They are followed by Bedford; above him are Tierney and Lauderdale. Last, and on a smaller scale, is the malevolent head of Nicholls. Description from the British Museum.
Dates
- Creation: 26 May 1798
Conditions Governing Access
Physical item available by appointment in our Reading Room
Extent
1.0 Item(s)
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository
Western Bank Library
University of Sheffield
Western Bank
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