Public Opinion!!

June 1820

Not on view

This satire relates to George IV's efforts to gather sufficient evidence for Parliament to grant him a divorce from his long estranged wife, Princess Caroline of Brunswick. The green bags in this image contain details of her private life gathered by a commission sent to Italy, but these cannot outweigh her popularity with the British public, represented by a cheering John Bull and soldiers who offer toasts. In the end, the government decided not to proceed with the divorce, fearing a backlash (the king's excessive expenditures and frequent affairs had already turned the public against him).

Artwork Details

Title: Public Opinion!!
Artist: Isaac Robert Cruikshank (British, London 1789–1856 London)
Publisher: William Benbow (British, active 1816–1840s)
Subject: George IV, King of Great Britain and Ireland (British, London 1762–1830 Windsor)
Subject: Caroline of Brunswick (German, Brunswick 1768–1821 Hammersmith)
Date: June 1820
Medium: Hand-colored etching
Dimensions: Sheet: 9 13/16 × 13 15/16 in. (25 × 35.4 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Adele S. Gollin, 1976
Object Number: 1976.602.98
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Miss Horton as Morgana, Isaac Robert Cruikshank British, Watercolor, pen and black ink, over graphite — Miss Horton as Morgana
Isaac Robert Cruikshank
Priscilla Reed
1830–44

Mrs Davenport as Miss Von Frump

Multiple artists/makers

January 1817

Mr. Mathews, as Miss Evelina Evergreen in his Trip to Paris

Isaac Robert Cruikshank

Charles Mathews

1819–25

Mathews's Trip to America

Multiple artists/makers

1824

Mr. Mathews, as Miss Evelina Evergreen

Multiple artists/makers

1819–25

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.