Public ordinary (BM 1868,0612.1204)

Men and women eating in the open air, at a table, some sitting, others standing. In the background are the tents of a camp; in the middle distance (right) eight men and women holding hands are dancing in a ring. A man of grotesque appearance, one eye covered with a circular patch, sits full-face, plying a knife and fork. Behind him stands Wilkes, who is chucking a pretty maid-servant under the chin so that she spills the wine which she has just poured out. This attracts the amused attention of a man standing behind Wilkes, and of one sitting at the table. The other figures are indicated only by their heads, which are perhaps portraits: there are two women of attractive appearance, one, whose high-dressed hair is decorated with feathers, the other with a hat trimmed with a cockade and feathers; a grotesque-looking old man with unkempt hair who is drinking wine; an old man with a grenadier's cap. A man seated on the bench shows only a wig and a broad back. On the bench is also a sucking-pig which a dog is seizing. On the ground are bottles, a pile of plates, and a brimming punch-bowl. Two cocks (right) are fighting.
Beneath the title is engraved "Oh what a charming Thing is eating". 1 January 1780

Etching