A True British Tar, 1795

"A True British Tar" Royal Museums Greenwich.

Today's image, drawn by James Gillray, and published by Hannah Humphrey, both of London, has an interesting story behind it. While at first glance it might appear to show a common British tar, the exaggerated features of the sailor's face and a reference in the lines below the portrait makes this a clear satire of Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence, a professional naval officer with Nelson as well as his friend, and the future William IV.

The print shows him as a ‘tar’ in stereotypical sailor clothing: a misshapen black hat, blue jacket, and striped trousers, with a printed neckerchief. The text reads

Damn all Bond-Street-Sailors I say, a parcel of smell-smocks!
They'd sooner creep into a Jordan than face the French!- dam me!' 

"Jordan" was slang for a chamber-pot, but here refers to Dorothea Jordan, the Prince’s actress-mistress and mother of his illegitimate children, the FitzClarences. The pun gave rise to far cruder satires than this print. (1)

Gillray's reference to the lewd behavior of the "Bond-Street Sailors" is thus a veiled "criticism of the Duke's own decadent life style. Any real scorn is so deeply embedded in visual and verbal innuendo that Gillray would have nothing to fear by turning his attention to the high-ranking royal." (2)

"A True British Tar" Royal Museums Greenwich.

In both images the prince wears a blue (or purple) coat with small yellow buttons and mariner's cuffs with one button worn open, a double-breasted white waistcoat with small yellow buttons, and striped trousers with yellow buttons - red in one image, blue in another. A truly massive yellow and red handkerchief that looks more like a woman's fichu with a fringed edge visible is tied tightly around his neck, completely covering his collar and shoulders. His straight blond hair hangs limply around his face, and a strange smushed black hat sits on top of his head.

References:
1. Description note from A True British Tar (caricature) - National Maritime Museum. Accessed 23 Dec. 2016. http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/127946.html
2. Davey, James, and Richard Johns. Broadsides: Caricature and the Navy 1756-1815. Seaforth Publishing, in Association with the National Maritime museum, 2012. P. 19.

A Sailor sitting for his Picture, c. 1800-1810

"A Sailor sitting for his Picture" Royal Museums Greenwich.

Suspiciously reminiscent of the 1807 print "A Sailor Sitting for His Miniature", today's caricature also features a sailor being painted by an artist. Today's print is undated and no date is given with the various institutions that hold a copy, but given the strong resemblance to the 1807 print, Jack's general style of dress, and other conventions for showing Jack in caricature at the time, the first decade of the 19th century seems likely, as I haven't been able to track down further information on the years this publisher was active.

This print is from the publisher M. Creary in Dublin and Jack is dressed in much the same style as the London print. Both sailors even have the same long side-whiskers and large spot on their faces, and are seated in much the same attitude. When combined with almost the exact same dialogue ("Carlisle Bridge" from today's print is replaced with "London Bridge" in the 1807 Woodward & Roberts print) the print becomes part of the larger narrative of publishers and artists using and reusing images in different cities in an era before strong copyright protection.

Jack wears pointed-toe brown pumps with large white buckles, striped red trousers, and a gold fob with pink ribbon at his waist. His double-breasted blue jacket is worn open with the cuffs unbuttoned, and the buttons are a grey color that looks like it might be meant to represent pewter. Under the jacket a massive yellow and orange plaid (?) handkerchief is tied loosely around his neck, and an oversized round hat with a blue hatband and huge blue rosette sits over a full head of curly brown hair. A brass tobacco case (absent in the London print) tucked into a welted jacket pocket goes nicely with the white clay pipe that he puffs at.