The Real Reigning 'Sovereign'
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (London 1828 - Birchington 1882)
Category
Art / Drawings and watercolours
Date
1846
Materials
Graphite on paper
Measurements
185 mm (H); 150 mm (W); 460 mm (H); 305 mm (W)
Order this imageCollection
Wightwick Manor, West Midlands
NT 1288030
Summary
Lithographic series of Playing Cards (1846/7). Caricatures for a pack of playing (or punning) cards which were for the most part political skits. Two sets of five (see NT 1288031) influenced by the French Satirists and by illustrations in the new Punch magazine (1841). Rossetti found scope for his youthful fantasies in such inventions as the Knave of Spades in which we see Rossetti’s first use elaborate allusions and symbols.
Full description
Lithographic series of Playing cards (1846/7). Caricatures for a pack of playing (or punning) cards which were for the most part political skits. Two sets of five (see NT 1288031) influenced by the French Satirists and by illustrations in the new Punch magazine (1841). Rossetti found scope for his youthful fantasies in such inventions as the Knave of Spades in which we see Rossetti’s first use elaborate allusions and symbols. The Knave of Spades depicts, Robert Peel (1778-1850) Prime Minister, above his head is the halo of FREE TRADE, he is holding the Irish Coercion Bill (probably the Bill issued on the 15th May 1846 which hoped to calm agitation in Ireland due to the ongoing Potato Famine) and The Income Tax Bill (which extended the raising of income taxes which had initially been used to fund the Napoleonic wars, this bill was thereafter enacted annually ). The banner around his waist reads SANCTUS ROBERTUS, Saint Robert. The Spade protruding down from his midriff reads AGRICULTURAL INTEREST and may refer to the prolonged and bitter fight waged by landowners against the Repeal of the Corn Laws (1846). To the left of the figure of Peel is an open book bearing the word CONINGSBY which may refer to the novel of that name by Benjamin Disraeli (1804 -1881) published in 1844 In which Disraeli sets out his opposition to Robert Peel and the need for Social Justice. Below the book is a Banner with the motto MARTYRSS INSTRUMENTA which may be a reference to Catholic martyrdom and may again refer to famine and suppression in Ireland. Below that is a closed book with the title REID ON VENTILATION, which is a reference to David Boswell Reid, known as the ventilator due to his work on the ventilation system in the new Palace of Westminster. Lastly there is a pamphlet bearing the title PUNCH. The Knave of Diamonds portrays Prince Albert (1819-1861) in Germanic costume, the Half a Crown around Prince Alberts neck may be a satirical reference to his position as Prince Consort. Albert is holding a bayonet which is skewering the maiden of ‘BRITISH ART’. Overbeck, a member of the German Nazarenes, was approached by Prince Albert for advice re the decoration of the new Palace of Westminster. In Gothic lettering is the inscription Overbeck PIXIT which translates as Overbeck one painted (painted it). The Queen and Knave of Clubs bear numerous symbols and allusions to Ireland and may be a direct reference to the ongoing Famine in Ireland which started in 1845. It is estimated over a million people died in the Famine between 1845 and 1851. The Queen of Clubs The mythical Mer type being may be a Merrow, a mermaid type creature in Irish folklore. Female Merrows are very beautiful and may have two legs/ tails as illustrated. Although Merrows do not have wings. The Harp is a Gaelic harp or Clairseach. The Cudgel is a Shillelagh, made from Blackthorn, it was used for duels. The Hat and pipe may be allusions to stereotypical Irish costume. Cherub/ putti needs more research. Shamrocks used as a symbol for Ireland surround the base of the harp. Knave of Clubs The figure is a Merrow, these mythical male Mere creatures in Irish folklore are, unlike, the beautiful female versions meant to be ugly. Wrapped in his tail is a Shillelagh, a cudgel made from Blackthorn and used for duelling. The Shillelagh has a hat on the end- may be a reference to stereotypical Irish costume. The Harp is a Gaelic harp or Clairseach. The snake may be a reference to the legend of St Patrick ridding Ireland of Snakes. The sack of Tribute Money may be a reference to the Native American Choctaw Nation, who raised $170 to help with Irish famine relief. The Choctaws had been one of the ‘Five Civilised Tribes’ driven from their homes in Mississippi along the Trail of Tears to the new Indian Territories in Oklahoma, during which tens of thousands died from starvation or disease. In the plight of the starving Irish the Choctaws saw a reflection of their own trauma. The Queen of Hearts depicts Queen Victoria ‘The Reigning Sovereign ‘depicted on the Head and Tail of a sovereign coin. These playing cards along with Juliette NT 1288029 are Rossetti’s earliest attempts at lithography, by producing these Rossetti may have hoped for some financial reward at a time, when due to his father’s ill health, his family were in financial straits.
Provenance
Lady Mander.
Marks and inscriptions
Overbeck pinxit 1846 (written in graphite)
Makers and roles
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (London 1828 - Birchington 1882), artist