The Deplorable State of America, or Sc___h Government
In this allegorical satire a seated Britannia offers a Pandora's Box to America, the box intended as a symbol of the Stamp Act. Minerva, representing wisdom, advises America not to take it, while Liberty lies on the ground oppressed by a thistle (a reference to George III's chief minister, the Scottish Lord Bute), and attacked by a serpent that embodies treachery. Mercury, a symbol of truth, departs from America.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Deplorable State of America, or Sc___h Government
- Artist: Anonymous, British, 18th century
- Date: March 22, 1765
- Medium: Etching
- Dimensions: sheet: 7 11/16 x 13 3/4 in. (19.6 x 35 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
- Object Number: 83.2.1004
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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