Description
Humorous print depicting a man in dressing gown and slippers recoiling from the smell of a rotten egg served for breakfast. The slapstick scene shows him abruptly lurching back in his chair and upending the table, spilling the egg from its shell and knocking over the tea service, as his alarmed dog cringes.
A related print by Egerton titled As Sour as Verjuice portrayed a man taking a sip of bad wine, with similar chaotic results. Editions of both prints were produced by George Hunt in London circa 1825.
M. Egerton, who published under his initials, “M.E.,” produced humorous genre prints engraved as aquatints by George Hunt and other artists. In the mid 1820s a collection of 23 aquatints after Egerton was published by Thomas McLean under the title Airy nothings; or, scraps and naughts, and odd-cum-shorts; in a circumbendibus hop, step, and jump, by Olio Rigmaroll with engraving by George Hunt; the publishing of some plates are credited to Henry Pyall and Hunt. Other works include Collindo Furioso, or Matters to Tatters.
Henry Pyall was a British printmaker.
Thomas McLean’s printing firm published a range of works during the mid 19th century including collections of humorous illustrations by Henry Alken, George Cruikshank and Edward Lear as well as collections of landscape prints
Condition: Generally very good with the usual light overall toning and wear. Minor marginal creasing. Tear to upper margin professionally repaired as professionally backed on supporting Japanese paper.
References:
Bénézit, E. Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs. France: Librairie Gründ, 1966. Vol. 3, p. 542.
“The Baker Collection of Books.” The University of Sussex Special Collections Library. http://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/speccoll/collection_catalogues/baker.html (25 January 2005).
