An Irish howl, Thomas Rowlandson

On the extreme right the Devil holds up a canvas, 'le Tableau Parlant', which terrifies twelve Irishmen grouped round an oblong table. In their alarm the heavy table has been overturned, some are on the ground, others (left) flee in terror. The Devil, who looks round the edge of his picture, wears a bonnet-rouge inscribed 'Anarchy'; labels hang from his horn: 'Blasph[emy]' and 'Parracide'. Above the table five harpies fly off with a tattered cloth inscribed 'Map of Ireland'. They are intended for the Directors, three having belts inscribed 'Tallien' (not a Director), 'Barras', and 'Le Paux'. On the table is a paper, 'United Irishmen'. The Irishmen make gestures of terror or despair. Most look at the picture, one looks upwards, saying: "Poor Erin How thourt torn to pieces by these five Harpies."
Courtesy of Boston Public Library

Thomas Rowlandson - English caricaturist of the 18th and early 19th centuries Britain, known for his humor, caricatures, satirical drawings, and watercolors, a popular artist in the Regency period in England.