Bottom sits in an arm-chair directed to the left, wearing spectacles on his ass's forehead. In his right hand is a piece of charcoal in a holder, in his left is a paper, which he is studying. Above his head is etched 'apollo'. On the left stands a man looking over bottom's shoulder, his fists clenched. Behind (right) two students (seated) draw from the antique, a nude male statue on a pedestal just above the level of their heads. Below the title:
'w - hen phidias or raph'el shall chuse to repair,
i - ncog to our fine modern artists' fam'd school,
l - ost in wonder to see stuck in genius's chair
t - he block which now fills it) a formal old fool -
o - ff again with this sneering remark they will go
n - o marvel your pupils old friend are so so"
jp' 1 january 1794. Hand-coloured etching. Date: 1794. Dimensions: Height: 295 mm; Width: 212 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: John Inigo Richards. Collection: British Museum. Bless the bottom, bless thee-thou art translated - Shakespere (BM 1868,0808.6329)
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