A Peep at Christies;–or–Tally-ho & his Nimeny-pimeney taking the Morning Lounge
General John Burgoyne|James Gillray|Hannah Humphrey|Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby|Elizabeth Farren, Countess of Derby
September 24, 1796 · Hand-colored etching and aquatint · Drawings and Prints
Gillray here contrasts the short, stout figure of the Earl of Derby with the tall, thin form of his mistress Elizabeth Farren, a leading comic actress associated with London's Drury Lane Theatre. The couple examine pictures in Christies's sale rooms at 125 Pall Mall. She admires "Zenocrates & Phryne" (an ancient philosopher who loved a Greek courtesan), while he inspects a fox hunting scene titled "The Death." Nimeney-Pimeney, mentioned in the title, was a role Farren famously performed in General Burgoyne's play "The Heiress" in 1786. After a liason of about eighteen years, the couple married in 1797 following the death of the Earl's wife.
- Artist
- General John Burgoyne|James Gillray|Hannah Humphrey|Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby|Elizabeth Farren, Countess of Derby
- Date
- September 24, 1796
- Medium
- Hand-colored etching and aquatint
- Department
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Gift of Susan Biebel, in memory of Franklin Biebel, 1975
