Pitt as bacchus bestrides a large wine-cask, his feet resting on the trestles. He is very thin (with a gouty leg), much caricatured, and has ass's ears; his head is garlanded with a vine-branch, and is turned in profile to the left. In his right hand he holds out a glass of wine, in his left a long pipe whose ashes fall on the head of dundas (right) seated on an upturned tub and leaning against a large cask. On the left the duchess of gordon (cf. Bmsat 7282) leans against a butt of gordon's entire supported on trestles, on which she rests a knee. The duchess holds the tap of the barrel whose contents pour into a tub and overflow it. The tap of pitt's cask is ornamented by a crown, the wine gushes out and overflows a large glass which stands beneath it. The duchess and dundas are tipsily drinking to pitt. Both spill the contents of their glasses, on hers is a ducal coronet. She wears a dress which leaves her breast bare and defines her ample contours; across her shoulder is a tartan plaid. Dundas wears a scots bonnet and a tartan plaid. He and pitt have coats of the windsor uniform (blue with red facings). A scroll from the mouths of the duchess and dundas joins above their heads, inscribed: 'oh what a god is justice midas'; she sings: "oh the tremendous justice midas"; he sings: "who dare oppose wise justice midas". (chorus from o'hara's burletta 'midas' (1764). Midas is the stupid, arrogant, and corrupt justice who is changed by apollo into an ass. Cf. Bmsats 7393, 7498. ) 26 april 1796. Hand-coloured etching. Date: 1796. Dimensions: Height: 272 mm; Width: 372 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Collection: British Museum. The triumph of Bacchus or a consultation on the additional wine duty!!! (BM 1851,0901.796)
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