A very fat alderman in a furred livery gown and tie-wig, with a very protruding stomach, is being fed with turtle soup, &c. He is seated in an armchair on a small dais inscribed, '"fair round belly with good capon lin'd", shakespear'. A lean french cook (left), with a very long queue and ruffled shirt, stands in profile to the right holding out a tureen inscribed 'turtle'; he says, "by gar, if de paunch vos not as thick as de head he vos burst". Another cook puts soup into the alderman's mouth with a spoon. At their feet are five empty dishes and a sauce-boat. Behind the alderman (right) approach two waiters, one bringing an ice-pudding, the other a bottle of 'champaign' and a glass; he says, "by got, his worship to fill de belly will empty my lor's cellar". At their feet are three empty plates and six empty wine-bottles inscribed 'champaign', 'hock', 'burgundy', 'claret'. Above the alderman's head is inscribed: 'o ye cooks! what havock gluttony makes among your works'. On each side of the title is an escutcheon, one (left) with the city arms, the other (right) with a turtle. Beneath the title twelve lines of verse are etched, beginning:
'first in glutton's list stands k--tch--n
his appetite is ev'r itching;
with turtle stiff, and solid haunch,
the hungry cit balloons his paunch;' 9 november 1784
etching with hand-colouring. Date: 1784. Dimensions: Height: 243 mm; Width: 341 mm (trimmed). Medium: paper. Depicted People: Henry Kitchin. Collection: British Museum. Lord Mayor's Day, or, Filling the Glutton's Balloon (BM 1868,0808.5383)
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