Enough to Make an Angel Swear, or–Real Birds Plucking the Sham

Thomas McLean|Robert Seymour

ca. 1828 · Hand-colored etching · Drawings and Prints

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.

Artist

Thomas McLean|Robert Seymour

Date

ca. 1828

Medium

Hand-colored etching

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Jill Spalding, 2022