Bone and Skin - two millers thin.

Hand-coloured etching; trimmed to plate mark; crease to lower margin. Plate 24 x 32cm. George BM Satires 10282. This copy is a later issue without Cruikshank's signature & date in lower right corner of image. The title comes from the four lines of verse beneath the image, from a poem by John Byrom: 'Bone and skin - two millers thin Would starve us all or near it; But be it known to skin and bone That flesh and blood can't bear it'. A satire on the bad harvest of 1804 which led to a hike in the cost of bread. The millers are Pitt and Melville, with sacks of corn, confronted by John Bull, or 'flesh and blood', a countryman with a bull-dog. John is fat and shambling, with a grog-blossom nose. In his small hat is fastened a short tobacco-pipe. Pitt is a quasi-countryman; Melville, less stout than usual, but scarcely thin, wears Highland dress. The former supports a large sack inscribed '£/4. 14s pr Qr', saying, "I wish it were possible to lower the price Johnny, it griev's me to tell there's no Corn in the Country! we shall all be starved before Christmas - ". John answers: "I know you of old - there's no appearance of scarcity except in yourself & Damn me if I ever see you or hear your name Billy lt puts me in mind of Famine!!" Melville (r.), behind Pitt, holds a sack on his shoulder inscribed '£/5 - 5s pr Qr'. Between the 'two millers' stand two more sacks; on one a Devil writes delightedly: 'To serve my best friends on earth & my future prime ministers I order the price to be raised to '£8 - 8s - pr Quart------'. There is a landscape background with many corn stacks. Behind Melville is the corner of a windmill.' PLEASE NOTE: For customers within the UK this item is subject to VAT at 20%.…