Flannel Armour; Female Patriotism Possibly 1793

This hand-colored etching, Flannel Armour; Female Patriotism, was made by James Gillray, probably in the early 1800s. The image shows women struggling to dress men in ill-fitting flannel military uniforms. Flannel, a soft, woven fabric, would have been widely available at the time, and is here presented as a sort of absurd material for military outfitting. Traditionally, armor is hard, offering protection, but here, the artist uses a common material in a parody of military strength. Note the awkwardness of the figures, and how the visual joke is pushed by the physical comedy of the scene. By depicting the figures struggling with the material, Gillray critiques not only the practicality of the uniforms, but also the social and political climate of the time. Consider the labor involved in producing both the flannel and the etching itself. Gillray’s attention to material and process invites us to consider the broader implications of production, consumption, and political satire, challenging any straightforward definition of ‘fine art.’