Matrimonial-harmonics
Gillray, James (1757-1815)
- British Museum
[Museum inv. no.: 1851,0901.1180]There are several examples of this etching on the British Museum website. The one linked here was hand colored.
Item location
Description
A woman is seated playing a keyboard instrument and singing in the foreground. The woman appears to be reading from a score on the music rack of the keyboard instrument. The words visible on the score are [illegible], "Fortune," "Fury," "Rage," "Forte," "Despair," and "I cannot cannot bear." Another score is visible resting on top of the keyboard instrument, with the title, "Separation a Finale for Two Voices with Accompaniment." Another score is visible on the floor below the keyboard instrument with the title, "The Wedding-Ring a Dirge." A man is seated on a sofa, reading a newspaper, bearing the heading "Sporting Calendar." Under the man's legs is a dog, and a cat is perched on the back of the sofa. To the right of the man is a table set for tea, with an ornately decorated fireplace behind it. Above the mantel of the fireplace is an apparently sleeping putto (presumably Cupid) with an overturned quiver resting against the stump of a tree. Below the putto is an inscription reading "Requiescat in Pace." Behind the keyboard instrument is a woman holding a small child in her left arm, who is reaching for a rattle held in the woman's right hand. A birdcage is mounted on the wall behind the sofa with two birds inside. A bust is also mounted on the wall to the left of the birdcage, the bust is labeled "Hymen," presumably after the Greek god of marriage.Iconclass
48C7541singer accompanying himself
Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)
Rattle [3036]Keyboard instruments [2230]