Enough to Make an Angel Swear, or–Real Birds Plucking the Sham
Robert Seymour British
Publisher Thomas McLean British
Not on view
Robert Seymour here imitates the style of contemporary satires by William Heath in a work that comments on the vogue for feathers used in women's fashion. A pink, feather-covered gown worn by a distressed belle has attracted angry birds in the foreground, while a similarly dressed figure flees towards a house in the background, pursued by a second flock. This print anticipates conservationist efforts later in the century which encouraged a boycott of exotic feathers as decoration for women's hats, since their use was encouraging the extinction of many bird species.
