HET COMMITTE' VAN ALGEMEEN WELZYN. (The Committee of General Welfare), David Hess, 1796

Four grotesque men, all crippled or deformed, are in a row before a set of druggist's shelves headed 'staats apotheek'. Those on the extreme left and right stand, the others sit. A knock-kneed hunchback (left), smoking a long pipe, the smoke inscribed 'hellebr. . ', holds a paper: 'recipe'. A ragged and lame national guard picks the pocket of his neighbour. Above the shelves, and forming the apex of the design, a fury, discord, with snaky locks, leans from clouds, holding a flaming sword and looking down threateningly at the conference. On the top shelf are a 'guillotine' and a bull, 'phalaris', a block inscribed 'menschen lief de' next a gallows, a demon. Below are bottles: 'quint ess: de robespierr, sel de marat, recipes en assignaten [see bmsat 8849], rotten gift [poison for mice], alb: graec:' on the wall hang a sword and shackles. Text, 'luke', xii. 26. 1796 etching printed in red. Date: 1796. Dimensions: Height: 261 mm; Width: 214 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Jean Paul Marat. Collection: British Museum. HET COMMITTE' VAN ALGEMEEN WELZYN. (The Committee of General Welfare) (BM 1851,0901.1312)