Sinclair, tall and thin, stands full-face, holding up in his right hand a balance (steelyard, or stilliard) inscribed 'vive le egalité'. A large british flag at the right end of the beam much outweighs a bunch of objects at the other; three documents: [1] 'navy of england to be retaind viz: 50000 seamen & half a dozen ships of war - 500000 sailors to be sent to plant potatoes. ' [2] '10 000 heavy reasons for giving the enemy a fair chance of getting out of their ports. ' [3] 'advantages of cold oeconomy'. Below these are bunches of turnips, carrots, a cabbage, the whole terminating in a pendent bonnet-rouge. Sinclair is fashionably dressed, wearing a hat, half-boots, ill-fitting coat, and overcoat almost to the ankles. On a heavily draped writing-table (right) are three large volumes: 'improvements in the art of political dunging and pursuits of agriculture. ' a paper: 'the apostate laird - a parliamentary romance - together with loss of the agricultural arm' chair. On the wall (right) is a picture of three pigs feeding at a trough of 'democratic verbosity'; this is 'pigs meat: or new method of feeding the swinish multitude' [see bmsat 8500, &c. ]. Beside it is a placard: 'table of weights & measures laid down upon the true democratic principle of the stilliards of egalité'. A patterned carpet completes the design. 1 december 1798
hand coloured etching. Date: 1798. Dimensions: Height: 360 mm; Width: 260 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Sir John Sinclair. Collection: British Museum. Improvement in Weights and Measures.-or-Sir John Seeclear discovering ye Ballance of ye British Flag. (BM 1851,0901.950)
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