The people in the six prints, published in 1829, are recast as a dysfunctional aristocrat wife and her domestic staff, through thinly veiled alternate names and textual captions, as well as visual caricature. In Plate No. 1, Lady Conyngham, mistress to King George IV, appears as the \u201cLady of the House,\u201d seated on a red throne and picking bobby pins from the King\u2019s crown and placing them in her own hair. This is a direct reference to Elizabeth Conyngham (1770\u20131861), an English courtier and noblewoman. In Plate No. 2, the King is portrayed as \u201cGeorgena the Lady\u2019s Maid,\u201d simpering and subservient. Here, the feminization of George IV underscores his perceived moral corruption and subjugation to Lady Conyngham\u2019s influence. In Plate No. 3, the Duke of Wellington, then Prime Minister, is shown as \u201cMrs. Double. U. the Housekeeper,\u201d bemoaning the difficulty of managing unruly servants that she refers to in the caption as \u201csluts.\u201d This is in reference to the Duke’s aristocratic and out-of-touch attitude and his struggles leading a fractious cabinet.\u00a0 Plate No. 4 shows Sir Robert Peel as \u201cRobertena Peelena the Maid of All Work,\u201d scrubbing the floor with a mop labeled \u201cFree Trade.\u201d Peelena defends an alliance with a \u201cthief-taker,\u201d referencing Peel\u2019s role in founding the Metropolitan Police, who were widely assumed to spy on the public and be corrupt and violent. In Plate No. 5, \u201cOld Mother Scarletta the Laundress\u201d is seen boiling scandalous \u201ccriminal information\u201d in a wash tub. The text indicates that she is cleaning the dirty laundry of the Duke of Wellington. In this context, “Scarletta” might be another reference to George IV, or the royals in general,\u00a0 inasmuch as the king was often depicted in portraits in a vibrant scarlet field marshal\u2019s uniform. In Plate No. 6, Lord Lyndhurst, the Lord Chancellor, appears as \u201cCoplinda Lindhursta the Cook.\u201d Lyndhurst is shown aggressively tending to a roast labeled \u201cLoe Johnny,\u201d likely mocking the Whig politician Lord John Russell. Further elucidation of the meaning of each caricature can be discerned from the original text, shown in full below.<\/p>\n
Each print is set in a theatrical, farcical domestic setting, underscoring the chaos and absurdity Heath saw in contemporary British politics. Indeed, in 1829, British politics were in a state of crisis. The Catholic Emancipation Act \u2014 championed by Peel and Wellington \u2014 split the Tory party in two. In addition, London\u2019s first police force sparked fears of government overreach, working-class unrest was on the rise, and George IV — near the end of his reign — was seen as a fat, bloated weak link manipulated by his actress mistress. In this climate of instability, Heath\u2019s use of feminized servants to represent male leaders would have resonated deeply with viewers, playing on cultural anxieties about declining masculinity, failed leadership, and social disorder. Heath\u2019s satire critiques these failing elites, who he saw as acting like squabbling female servants rather than than serious leaders.<\/p>\n
William Heath was a British caricaturist and illustrator. His illustrated books include his own Life of a Soldier<\/em> (1823) and Sir John Bowring\u2019s Minor Morals<\/em> (1834). In the 1820s, he established himself as a leading caricaturist, first in Scotland for The Glasgow Looking Glass<\/em>, and after 1827 in London, where he began signing his social and political satires \u201cPaul Pry,\u201d named after a busybody character from playwright John Poole\u2019s 1825 comedy of the same name, so-called because he liked to pry into other people\u2019s business. Heath also included a tiny sketch of Pry offering commentary from the lower margin of his prints. The Paul Pry device became so popular it was soon forged by other artists; within a few years, Heath abandoned it. He worked for the prolific publisher Thomas McLean, who published his fashion and society satires as Modern Oddities<\/em>, and included his work in other collections and his monthly caricature magazine Looking Glass<\/em>.<\/p>\n Thomas McLean (1788\u20131875) owned a printing firm in London publishing a wide range of works during the mid-19th century, especially humor, satire, and political caricatures, both as separately issued prints and in periodicals such as the Monthly Sheet of Caricatures.<\/em> McLean published and sold collections of humorous illustrations by Henry Alken, George Cruikshank, Edward Lear, and William Heath, as well as portraits and collections of landscape prints such as J.D. Harding\u2019s The Park and the Forest<\/em> (1841). Britain\u2019s National Portrait Gallery holds at least 195 portrait prints published by McLean.<\/p>\n Full transcription of each print:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Lady of the House, Plate No. 1:<\/strong> \u201cThat Georgena has certainly got the upper hand of me \u2013 she has such a way with her I can\u2019t refuse her anything. The bottom caption reading \u2013 for me I am a Windsor dear, and certainly the fattest I think. I\u2019th\u2019forest, – Shakespeare\u201d<\/p>\n Georgena the Ladys Maid, Plate No. 2:<\/strong> \u201cMine is the best place in the house \u2013 to be sure my lady is a little whimsical \u2013 so am I. Then she is so fond of me \u2013 lor I can do anything I like with her \u2013 then again I\u2019m such a favorite with all tradespeople \u2013 ah my character is everything- \u2018Nothing so true as what you once let fall. Most women have no character at all.\u2019 For what a wretch that Pope was for saying such a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Mrs. Double. U. the Housekeeper, Plate No. 3:<\/strong> \u201cNobody can tell the trouble I have to keep the sluts in order \u2013 sad waste before I came into the House. What Peelena I say there\u2019s no good to be got out of that wench since she\u2019s acquainted with those nasty thief takers. \u2013 The fairest among the daughters of Britain show themselves good statesmom as well a good Housewives.\u201d<\/p>\n Robertena Peelena the Maid of All Work, Plate No. 4:<\/strong> \u201cWhat if I am wedded to a thief taker. I\u2019ve often done worse, besides I shall get something by it.\u201d<\/p>\n Old Mother Scarletta the Laundress, Plate No. 5:<\/strong> \u201cI suppose I\u2019ve taken the situation. I\u2019ll have all old mother Double U\u2019s dirty things to wash.\u201d<\/p>\n Coplinda Lindhursta the Cook, Plate No. 6<\/strong>: I do rule the the roast \u2013 and certainly can get a sop in the pan whenever I please \u2013 but my spouse is a sad plague to me<\/p>\n Condition: Generally very good with the usual overall light toning, wear, handling. Fine likely original color. Paper slightly brittle. A few small chips in some outer margins, easily can be restored by professional paper conservator at expense of Seller.<\/p>\n References:<\/p>\n Gertz, Stephen J. “William Heath On Womens Hats and Fashion Madness, Part I.” Booktryst. 12 September 2012. http:\/\/www.booktryst.com\/2012\/09\/william-heath-on-womens-hats-and.html (21 September 2017).<\/p>\n \u201cRobertena Peelena the Maid of All Work.\u201d British Museum.<\/em> https:\/\/www.britishmuseum.org\/collection\/object\/P_1868-0808-9077. (6 June 2025).<\/p>\n \u201cThomas McLean.\u201d National Portrait Gallery<\/em>. 21 April 2005. http:\/\/www.npg.org.uk\/live\/search\/person.asp?LinkID=mp62465&role=art (18 November 2010).<\/p>\n Williamson, George C., ed. Bryan’s Dictionary of Painters and Engravers. London: G. Bell and Sons: 1930. Vol. 3, p. 25.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" William Heath (1795-1840) A set of six humorous albeit satirical British political caricature prints by artist William Heath. Although ostensibly lampooning a stereotypical British late Georgian period so called “Lady of the House” and five of her female “Household Servants,” the set is in fact an allegorical biting commentary targeting six prominent Royal and political figures of Regency England. As a whole, the set skewers the perceived incompetence, vanity, and hypocrisy of Britain\u2019s ruling class by situating them in subservient feminized roles and spaces far removed from the preferred masculine ideal of public statesmanship. In this way, the series offers a sharp commentary on their inability to maintain public order or moral authority,\u00a0 emasculating them to reflect their political weakness. Although individual prints from the set occasionally appear on the market, the complete set of six is apparently quite rare. The record auction price for a set in original wraps is \u00a37,000 plus buyer\u2019s premium, and no complete sets\u00a0 are currently found online as being in institutional collections.<\/p>\n Product description continues below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":43990,"template":"","meta":{"wds_primary_product_brand":0,"wds_primary_product_cat":0,"footnotes":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[956,959,4182,5971],"product_tag":[42,7048,124,2202,10149,1766,2435,8809,1610,10148,10153,8522,10150,2140,10152,7255,10151,7253],"class_list":{"0":"post-43989","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-genre-humor","7":"product_cat-law-politics","8":"product_cat-royalty","9":"product_cat-women","10":"product_tag-19th-century","11":"product_tag-antique-print","12":"product_tag-british","13":"product_tag-caricature","14":"product_tag-duke-wellington","15":"product_tag-etching","16":"product_tag-genre","17":"product_tag-george-iv","18":"product_tag-humor","19":"product_tag-lady-conyngham","20":"product_tag-lord-john-russell","21":"product_tag-political","22":"product_tag-prime-minister","23":"product_tag-satire","24":"product_tag-theif-taker","25":"product_tag-thomas-mclean","26":"product_tag-whig","27":"product_tag-william-heath","28":"post","29":"post-with-thumbnail","30":"post-with-thumbnail-large","32":"first","33":"instock","34":"product-type-simple"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/43989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/43989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44023,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/43989\/revisions\/44023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=43989"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=43989"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgeglazer.com\/wpmain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=43989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHousehold Servants in Six Plates:<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe Lady of the House, No. 1<\/strong>
\nGeorgena the Lady\u2019s Maid, No. 2<\/strong>
\nMrs. Double. U. the Housekeeper No. 3<\/strong>
\nRobertena Peelena the Maid of All Work, No. 4<\/strong>
\nOld Mother Scarletta the Laundress, No. 5<\/strong>
\nCoplinda Lindhursta the Cook, No. 6<\/strong>
\nThomas McLean, 26 Haymarket, London, England: 1829
\nHand-colored etchings
\n14 x 9.75 inches ruled border
\n16 x 10.75 inches, overall
\nPrice on request<\/p>\n