Description:
Hand-colored satrical print titled "Good Advice" published by Mathew and/or Mary Darly, husband and wife print engravers and publishers working in London in the 1770s. The print depicts four women of different ages in an interior domestic setting. An older woman appears to be "giving advice" to one or all of them. The humor of this print is difficult to discern, but the largely blank wall decoration may suggest the punch line that no good advice can come from one woman to another. The print may also in part be ridiculing the exagerated proportions of dress and hair (the latter known as poufs in France) seen in fashion at the end of the 1770s and worn to extremees by the three younger women. While providing insight into contemporary late 18th-century humor, the print is also an important document of interior settings and fashion. Because of its relatively large size and uncrowded composition, this print was probably produced as a single sheet. Prints such as this example provided a relatively inexpensive decoration for domestic interior spaces, as well as familiarizing viewers with contemporary humorous topics. Satirical prints were purchased by all levels of society, and reached their heyday in the late 18th century. English examples were available for sale in America both before and after the Revolution.
Label Text:
In the 18th century satirical prints poked fun at political and social life using images with few words. Fashion was a favorite topic, exaggerated for maximum humor. While documenting late 1770s extravagance in English dress adopted by women of all ages (who wear French-inspired fashion including high hairstyles known as poufs), this hand colored print also affords a glimpse into domestic interiors.
Prints provided a relatively inexpensive decoration for domestic spaces, as well as familiarizing viewers with contemporary social and political topics. English prints were exported in large numbers to America, both before and after the Revolution.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2013.35 |
