the Grisette's _Magasin des Modes_. The plate is delicately etched.
Yorick is seated beside the pretty milliner; the complaisant husband
is bowing, grimacing, and attitudinising. A poodle is on a settee. Two
blocks, hat and cap moulds, are, with bandboxes, robes, &c., scattered
around. Outside is seen a glimpse of the quaint antiquated French
street life, such as might be encountered by the sentimental traveller
before the Revolution:--priests, monks, portresses, &c., with images of
saints at the street corners.
On August 15, 1800, Mr. Ackermann issued at his Repository of
Arts, 101 Strand, a series of six plates designed and etched in
Rowlandson's boldest and most spirited style; and finished and
coloured in almost exact imitation of the original drawings. Each
plate contains three large distinct heads, festooned with attributes
peculiar to the respective designs. It is not very clear whether
these symbolical groupings, which are superior in execution to the
average of Rowlandson's published works, were devised to be cut up
for scrap-books, screens, or wall borderings; but they have become
remarkably scarce since the date of publication, and sets of these
typical heads (eighteen in all) are rarely met with at the present date.
_Philosophorum._--The head of the philosopher closely resembles the
conventional portrait accorded to Father Time, horn spectacles,
forelock, grey beard and all. The globe, a sextant, mariner's compass,
chart, telescope, dividers, bells, squares, thermometers, &c., make up
the symbolical garland which depends from the ears of this emblem of
knowledge.
_Fancynina._--This figure is borne out by one of the artist's
favourite types of female beauty, a well-featured, handsomely made and
languishing-looking young lady, wearing a modish hat, all feathered,
beaded, and flowered. The portrait of _Fancynina_ is festooned
with such emblems of feminine frivolity as French rouge, Court
sticking-plaister (for patches), ottar of roses, watches and trinkets,
miniatures of admirers, an opera glass, a black domino or half-mask, a
huge muff, parasol, fan, &c.
_Epicurum._--An old gourmand in a red nightcap, whose flushed and
blossoming countenance appears through a goodly string of sausages;
a gridiron, a basting ladle, a cucumber, and other indications of
creature comforts complete the emblems of this figure.
_Penserosa._--The head of a tragic performer, modelled on that of
one of the Gorgones is used to illustrate this figure. The Medusa
head is entwined with serpents, and wreathed below with a festoon of
bays, beneath which hang the dagger and bowl, and the manuscript of
_Penserosa's_ tragic part.
_Tally ho! rum!_--The head of a Nimrod, backed with a huntsman's cap,
is the sign-piece of this figure; a _corne de chasse_ is hung round
the sportsman's neck, and on it are spurs, horseshoes, whips, a gun,
powder-flask, and game bag; a fox's head completes the group of emblems
distinctive of _Tally ho! rum!_
_Allegoria._--The head of a rubicund, but young and well-featured,
Bacchus does duty for _Allegoria_; heavy clusters of vine-leaves, and
bunches of purple grapes and tendrils crown and surround the bucolic
divinity; below is a Silenus mask; bacchanalian flutes, and pipes of
Pan, complete the insignia.
_Physicorum._--The face of a lean, high-dried, and sharp-featured
doctor, with a high, white wig, and a profusion of horsehair curls,
figures forth _Physicorum_ with proper character; festoons of bottles
of medicine, soporific, strengthening, emollient, purging and
sleeping draughts in all varieties, boxes of pills, ointments, drops,
prescriptive puffs, quackeries, and the inevitable syringe and clyster
pipe, make up the attributes of the physician.
_Nunina._--The head of a rosy-cheeked and buxom Nun, her eyes devoutly
raised to realms above. Beneath the portrait the crowned and ghastly
skull of King Death, a book of devotions, a _flagellum_ for discipline,
a crucifix, hour-glass and rosary, and other pious symbols are
displayed.
_Publicorum._--The face of a fat and rubicund-visaged landlord does
duty as the emblem of _Publicorum_; as may be supposed, the symbols of
this personage consist mainly of convivial attributes--tobacco-boxes,
pipes, bottles of rum, brandy, and rack; a tankard, limes, lemons, a
punchbowl, ladle, &c.
_Funeralorum._--The head of a professional mourner, with long
crape streamers round his hat, and a mourning cloak. _Funeralorum_
is surrounded by such cheerful attributes as funeral sermons,
advertisements of interments, and invitations to the same, burial fees,
titles, last wills and testaments, hatchments, Yorick's skull, an
hour-glass, and a sexton's pick and spade.
_Virginia._--The head of a soured and malignant-looking old maid,
whose favourite parrot is screaming in her ear. The vixenish face is
festooned with suppositious attributes of old spinsterhood--a group
of boxes of snuff, corn-plaisters, padlocks, pincushions, cats-meat,
anonymous letters, drops for the colic; while a bag for 'winnings at
_quadrille_' is displayed on the _Scandalous Magazine_, beside which
are perched two spitting and caterwauling old tom-cats.
_Hazardorum._--The head given as representative of _Hazardorum_ wears
a very disconsolate and downcast look; fortune has not favoured the
gambler, as is figuratively evinced by a purse turned upside down, from
which the contents are escaping, mortgage-deeds, annuity bonds, _Hoyle
on Chances_, a betting book, a game cock, rackets, dice and a dice-box.
_The Racing Calendar_, playing cards, billiard cues, a loaded pistol,
and other suggestive emblems supply the features of _Hazardorum_.
_Battlcorum._--The head of a fierce-looking warrior, with plumed hat,
sets forth _Battlcorum_; warlike attributes surround the stern hero,
whose face is grim as war itself. Chain-shot, pistols, shot-belts, a
cartouche box, bayonet, sword, gun, drum. &c., help out the martial
figure and assist its due signification.
_Billingsgatina_ displays the face of a buxom young fish-girl,
topped with a sailor's straw hat, and surrounded by evidences
of her fishy profession: strings of eels, lobsters, crabs, cod,
oysters, and fish-baskets are introduced to support the character of
_Billingsgatina_.
_Trafficorum_ is represented by a long-haired, hook-nosed, shrewd-eyed
Jew pedlar, wearing an unkempt beard; round his neck hangs the
suggestive hawker's box, with the multifarious contents of the pack
displayed; scissors, tape, ribands, spectacles, purses, razors, combs,
knives, forks and spoons, watches, trinkets, necklaces, ear-rings,
buckles, and an infinity of similar articles, disclose the identity of
_Trafficorum_.
_Barberorum._--The head of a French hair-dresser does duty for this
figure; a comb is stuck in the lengthy locks, and a white apron is
pinned under the shaven chin. Implements properly pertaining to the
barber's calling are introduced to form a trophy; a string of wigs of
all colours and shapes, a block, powder-bags, curling-irons, tongs,
combs, scissors, tooth brushes, razors and Packwood's strops, flasks
of scent, eau de Luce, lotions, boxes of pommades, rouge, &c., furnish
forth emblemata of the hair-dressing _Barberorum_.
_Flora_ is represented by a sweetly innocent flower-seller, whose soft
and winning face appears above clusters of roses, lilies, tulips,
bluebells, and other flowers, while beneath the attributes of _Flora_
are completed by a basket of fruits and vegetables.
_Lawyerorum_ very significantly closes the series of emblematical
heads. The counsel is a hard-featured, sharp, close, shrewd, and
long-headed looking individual, attired in his horsehair wig, and
festooned around with the sweets of his profession--_Affidavits_,
_Subpoenæ_, _Perjuries_, _Bankrupts enlarged_, '_Wills made on the
shortest notice_,' _Writs of Error_, _Clausum Friget_, _Bills of
Costs_, _Declarations_, _Actions between John Doe and Richard Roe_,
_Warrants for assaults_, _Habeas Corpus_, _Suits in Chancery_, _Lists
of Informations_, _Quirks_, _Quibbles_, _Briefs_, _Title-deeds_,
_Statutes at large_, bags of _causes_, ponderous legal volumes; the
emblemata are significantly supported by a well-filled brief bag,
plethoric with 'cash received on clients' accounts, not paid over.'