Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Man Slaughter Men


By Mathew Crowther

A copy of one of the Cruikshank prints on the killing of protesters at Queen Caroline's funeral published by John Fairburn.

Cruikshank's decision to depict the soldiers of the Household Cavalry with no torso and huge exaggerated limbs is a sly reference to the fact that the court of enquiry ruled that "nobody" could be identified and brought to trial for the killing of two civilian protesters.

This print and a companion piece entitled "Killing No Murder" are recorded in the British Museum catalogue as being amongst a number of prints which were supressed by the government. This is a rare example of a copy which must have slipped through the hands of the censors somehow.



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