The country choristers

Brett, J. (active 1762)

Mortimer, John Hamilton (1740-1779) (after a work of)

Item type:

print

Date of creation:

1779

Technique / Medium:

etching on paper

Place of creation:

England

Additional titles

Description

This is a caricature showing two rows of musicians. The top row is entitled, "The Country Choristers." The thirteen choristers are in two rows with the back row partly obscured by the figures in the front. Most of the singers are men, but there is clearly one woman on the lower left. Their scowling faces show that they are exerting a great deal of effort. The singers in the front have open music books in front of them. The lower level of musicians is the orchestra. There are six men visible, and they are identified by nationality. From left to right, there is a Prussian horn player wearing a tricorn hat on top of a powdered wig with a pony tail gathered with a ribbon tied in a bow. The neck of a double bass extends from the pit and is being played by the German. The oboist is Italian. The flutist is Swiss. A man's head wearing a pince-nez is visible between the oboist and flutist, but no instrument can be seen. The English musician also wearing glasses may be a solo singer and is reading a page of music with a treble clef. The audience seated and standing in the hall can be seen in the background. This is an etching copied from a drawing by John Hamilton Mortimer (RIdIM item 6308).

Iconclass

32A5
caricatures (human types)
48C7552
choir
48CC7532
small group of musicians, chamber orchestra
48A722
concert hall

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Horn [4118]
Double bass [3111]
Oboe [4232]
Flute [3955]

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1

RIdIM record id

5300