Fox in the Block-Shop, or the Heads of the Propositions rejected, William Dent, 1785

A number of barber's blocks (for wigs) with human faces lie on the floor, where they are being overturned by a fox (fox), who pushes over with his paw one of pitt, inscribed 'mr p'. He says, "heavens! what a pretty little figure! what a pity that it should want brains". Behind him (right) is a counter on which stand two blocks, one, thurlow, inscribed 'woolsack', being the largest of all. Facing him is a man wearing a legal wig inscribed 'teased'; he resembles camden (supposed to have been induced to support pitt by his son). Two blocks hang on a string from a nail, back to back in profile. The right, 'chicken', is michael angelo taylor (see bmsat 6777), the other is inscribed 'hawk' (? lord hawke). The other blocks lie on the floor, overturned; they represent the leading ministerialists but many cannot be identified with certainty. Next pitt is dundas, inscribed 'mr d. ' the others (left to right) are 'ld m------n. ' (mahon); 'ld w'; 'm. Of g. ' (marquis of graham); 'ld m' (mulgrave);'m of c' (marquis of carmarthen, his head entirely hidden); 'd of r' (duke of richmond); 'mr s' (? robert smith, afterwards lord carrington, m. P. For nottingham, cf. Wraxall 'memoirs', 1884, iii. 399 ff. [or steele, rose's colleague]); 'ld g. ' (head hidden, ? lord galloway); 'sir l. K. ' (lloyd kenyon, master of the rolls); 'mr r. ' (head hidden, ? george rose [dudley ryder or rolle would also possible, but the concealed head suggests the secret influence of the treasury]); 'a. G' (pepper arden, the attorney-general); 'ld s. ' (lord sydney); 'ld h' (lord hood); 's. G. ' (face concealed, archibald macdonald, the solicitor-general). In the background (left) is a door over which is a placard, 'master jenky, block provider to his m-----y nb wanted a fresh assortment of blocks for immediate use'. 30 august 1785 etching. Date: 1785. Dimensions: Height: 249 mm; Width: 347 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Richard Pepper Arden, 1st Baron of Alvanley. Collection: British Museum. Fox in the Block-Shop, or the Heads of the Propositions rejected (BM 1868,0808.5446)