Facing the enemy, Isaac Cruikshank, between 1800 and 1805

John bull, very corpulent, as a volunteer, stands at attention, holding his bayoneted musket. He glares at a french soldier, thin, ragged, and trembling, who stands on the r. , with flexed knees, looking over his shoulder at john, and saying, "begar me no like de look of dat jean bool. " john says: "i declare it would be a charity to give the poor fellow a meals victuals before i fight him. " on his plumed helmet is inscribed 'london'. Beside him is his bulldog, the collar inscribed 'john bull'; it growls fiercely at the frenchman's cock, which looks round nervously with drooping tail-feathers. C. July- aug. 1803 etching. Date: between 1800 and 1805. Dimensions: Height: 251 mm (cropped); Width: 352 mm (cropped). Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. Facing the enemy (BM 1868,0808.7102)