La Belle Assemblêe, James Gillray, 1787

Five elderly women of fashion attend an altar of love in a temple whose walls are wreathed with roses. The fat mrs. Hobart, in profile to the right, pours incense on the flames of the altar; in her right hand is an open book, 'ninon'. Behind her (left) lady archer, with the nose of a bird of prey, leads a lamb garlanded with roses; she guides the animal with a riding-whip. Miss jefferies walks beside lady archer holding a basket of flowers. On the extreme left lady mount-edgcumb, aged and bent, holds a dove in each hand. On the right of the altar lady cecilia johnstone plays a lyre. The altar is decorated with rams' heads, a heart, arrows, and roses. A sculptured group of the three graces stands in an alcove in the wall above the altar. In the background (left) is a mountain peak, parnassus, on which sits a tiny figure of apollo, playing a fiddle, the sun irradiating his head. Beneath the design is '"here, love his golden shafts employs; here lights "his constant lamp; and waves his purple wings; "reigns here and revels. " milton. ' 12 may 1787 hand-coloured etching. Date: 1787. Dimensions: Height: 248 mm; Width: 348 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Lady Sarah Archer. Collection: British Museum. La Belle Assemblêe (BM 1868,0808.5644 1)