The man of feeling, in search of indispensibles; -a scene in the little French milleners, James Gillray, 1800

Beneath the title: 'nb. A number of disputes having arisen in the beau monde, respecting the exact situation of the ladies indispensibles (or new invented pockets) whether they were placed at the ancle, or in a more elegible situation, - the above search took place, in order to determine precisely the longitude of these inestimable conveniences'. Girls, fashionably dressed, sit sewing round a large table. In the foreground the elephantine prince of orange kneels, feeling the leg of two girls on his right and left; they throw up their arms and scream. The others look on, amused or astonished. The mistress of the establishment enters by the door (right), elaborately and indecorously dressed, a feathered bonnet in her hand. On the wall hang cloaks, feathers, a hat, &c, and on a shelf is a bust wearing a feathered hat. A placard: 'le magasin de lancastre pour embellir les dames angloise [sic] - indispencibles'. One of these pockets is on the ground, a girl works at another. They are flat trimmed bags on ribbons, with vertical slits. 12 february 1800 hand-coloured etching. Date: 1800. Dimensions: Height: 263 mm; Width: 366 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: William V, Prince of Orange. Collection: British Museum. The man of feeling, in search of indispensibles; -a scene in the little French milleners (BM 1851,0901.1015 1)