War of Posts

Publisher William Richardson British
May 1, 1782
Not on view
This satire relates to British political factions during the Revolutionary War, and shows Pitt, Keppel, Conway, Burke, Fox, Richmond at left, urging the Devil, at right, to push Sandwich, Amherst, North, Mansfield into the flames of Hell. Behind this drama, the constitution is symbolized by a domed building, with a man in the stocks being given thirteen lashes (a reference to the American colonies), and three figures on a gibbet identified as "an English secretary" (i.e. minister) "an Irish secretary" and "a Scotch secretary."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: War of Posts
  • Artist: Thomas Colley (British, active 1778–83)
  • Publisher: William Richardson (British, active 1778–1812)
  • Published in: London
  • Date: May 1, 1782
  • Medium: Engraving
  • Dimensions: plate: 9 5/8 x 13 13/16 in. (24.4 x 35.1 cm)
    sheet: 11 x 16 15/16 in. (28 x 43 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
  • Object Number: 83.2.1036
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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