A smoking club, James Gillray - Engraving, Public domain image

Pitt and Dundas, Fox and Sheridan face each other across a long narrow table, smoking long pipes and puffing clouds of smoke in each other's faces. The gallery of the House of Commons is indicated in the background. At the head of the table (left) in a raised arm-chair (in the manner of the chairman at a tavern-club) sits a man in the hat, wig, and gown of the Speaker (Addington) holding the mace, which has been transformed into a crutch-like stick. He puffs smoke at both Treasury and Opposition benches. Pitt, on the Speaker's right, holds a frothing tankard inscribed 'G.R' and directs a cloud of smoke at Fox, who puffs back. Before Fox is a tray of pipes and a paper of tobacco, implying that he excels in abuse. On the extreme right, Dundas, a plaid across his coat, puffs at the scowling Sheridan seated close to Fox. He has a punch-bowl inscribed 'G.R' in which he dips a ladle. Small puffs of smoke issue from the pipes, great clouds from the smokers' mouths. The House of Commons is burlesqued as a smoking-club, a plebeian gathering in which quarrelsome members were wont to puff smoke at each other (BM).

Courtesy of Boston Public Library

james gillray 1756 1815 prints and drawings boston public library arts department politicians nobility authors government officials great britain parliament house of commons sidmouth henry addington viscount 1757 1844 sheridan richard brinsley 1751 1816 dundas henry 1742 1811 pitt william 1759 1806 fox charles james 1749 1806 england london city and london borough of westminster etchings caricatures satires visual works prints english james gillray 1756 1815 ultra high resolution high resolution 18th century political cartoons

1600 - 1700

Boston Public Library

https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/

Public Domain