Pitt (left), as a toreador, rides a rearing white horse (of hanover) with a spear directed horizontally against a buil (john bull) snorting fire and bleeding from many wounds. He wears a short tunic and sash; his saddle-cloth is a leopard-skin on which is a crest: the white horse of hanover enclosed in a garter ribbon inscribed 'honi soit qui mal y pense', and surmounted by a crown. He looks alarmed and spurs his horse viciously. Two tiers of spectators in an arc of the arena are freely sketched. In the upper row george iii looking through a glass is in the centre, on his left is the queen, on his right loughborough. The man next the queen is (?) grenville. In the lower tier fox is conspicuous with (?) the prince of wales on his left; sheridan stands behind them. The other spectators are members of the opposition or ragamuffins. Those who can be identified are (right to left): stanhope, derby, grafton, lansdowne. A chimney-sweep applauds with brush and shovel. Beneath the title: 'description, from the royal bull fight of 1795
then enter'd a bull of the true british breed, who appear'd to be extremely peaceable 'till oppos'd by a desperado, mounted upon a white horse, who by numberless wounds provok'd the animal to the utmost pitch of fury, when collecting all its strength into one dreadful effort, & darting upon its opponent, destroy d both horse & rider in a moment. ' 21 november 1795
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1795. Dimensions: Height: 250 mm; Width: 350 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby. Collection: British Museum. The Royal bull-fight (BM 1851,0901.762)
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