Five british sailors make a furious attack on six french soldiers, grotesque and terrified creatures, whom the sailors humiliate and insult. Their officer (left), who holds a british flag, is threatened by a sailor with clenched fists, and excretes, terrified. A sailor with a scourge slashes the bared posteriors of a frenchman who grovels on the ground, saying, "oh le pauvre commandant"; he says, "now foutre you'l take 2 merchants ships for a fleet of men of war again". A frenchman, nearly throttled by an angry sailor, cries "ca-ira ca-ira". A sailor pulls the queue of the drummer, to whom he offers a piece of tobacco, saying, "here you b--g--r heres a stale quid for you instead of hartshorn". A sailor on the extreme right pulls the queue of a frenchman and raises his club to strike; the latter says, "oh diable we was make de dam mistake parblue". The sailor answers, "aye aye d------n your eyes ill make you blue and black too". In the background (left) are buildings inscribed 'nantes'. 15 july 1791. Etching. Date: 1791. Dimensions: Height: 250 mm; Width: 494 mm. Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. The fruition of Nantes or the vision interpreted (BM 1868,0808.6084)
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