The Cad to the Man Wot Drives the Sovereign
This cad, or coach conductor dressed in a soiled coat satrizes the politician Sir William Peel. A speech bubble says: "I turns my hand to any thing now. I ketches rats like winking." In 1829, Heath designed a series of prints focused on political figures who spearheaded the passage of the Catholic Emancipation Bill. Peel as "The Cad to the Man Wot Drives the Sovereign" appears as assistant to the Duke of Wellington (the prime minister who appears in related images as William IV's coach driver). The rats captured by Peel represent politicians who have tried to avoid voting for the bill. From 1827–29 Heath used the image of a little dandy holding an umbrella to sign prints. Seen here at lower left, the emblem refers to Paul Pry, a nosy character in an 1825 play by John Poole.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Cad to the Man Wot Drives the Sovereign
- Artist: William Heath ('Paul Pry') (British, Northumbria 1794/95–1840 Hampstead)
- Publisher: Thomas McLean (British, 1788–1875)
- Subject: Sir Robert Peel (British, Bury 1788–1850 London)
- Date: April 1829
- Medium: Hand-colored etching
- Dimensions: Plate: 14 1/4 × 10 7/16 in. (36.2 × 26.5 cm)
Sheet: 17 in. × 11 13/16 in. (43.2 × 30 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924
- Object Number: 24.63.161
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
William Heath ('Paul Pry')
S. Gans
1830
William Heath ('Paul Pry')
Thomas McLean
1827–29
Multiple artists/makers
1827–29
William Heath ('Paul Pry')
Thomas McLean
1828–29
William Heath ('Paul Pry')
Thomas McLean
1828
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.