‘Iphigenia’s Late Procession from Kingston to Bristol. By Chudleigh Meadows’, 1776
Description
Mounted etching, entitled ‘Iphigenia’s late procession from Kingston to Bristol. ______ by Chudleigh Meadows.’, designed by John Hamilton Mortimer, etched by anon, and published by anon in 1776.
This caricature is a satire of a ceremonial procession involving the Duchess Kingston with the essential members of her household, namely her maids, chaplain, physician, and apothecary. Revealing his perceived place in the social order; her lowly apothecary comes last in the procession.
He is depicted as a thin gentleman, dressed in a ‘physical’ wig, and a tight coat with deep cuffs. He carries a huge, highly decorated clyster syringe over his right shoulder. The Duchess’s three maids between them carry an ominous covered pot, a roll of paper, and a large square ‘CORDIAL’ bottle.
Shown at the front of the procession the short, fat Duchess swears; “By God and …”. The title refers to the Duchess’s two marriages, where she obtained her two titles: the Duchess of Kingston and the Countess of Bristol, and her