Spotprent op de spanningen in het Britse kabinet tussen de Katholieken en de Protestanten, 1827 Possibly 1827

This is a print by Henry Heath from 1827, now at the Rijksmuseum, which uses line and caricature to create a pointed commentary on British politics. The composition centers on two figures in a boat, each pulling in opposite directions. Above them, flags proclaim 'Catholic Supremacy' and 'Protestant Ascendency', visually setting up the central conflict. The use of animals, a unicorn and a lion, as figureheads, adds another layer of symbolic meaning. The boat is labelled ‘Cabinet Cock Boat’. Heath uses this simple structure to explore tensions within the British government. The act of rowing becomes a metaphor for political struggle, where opposing forces undermine any possibility of progress. The print destabilizes the notion of a unified cabinet, presenting it instead as a site of internal conflict and deadlock. Through these formal choices, Heath offers a critical perspective on the political landscape of his time.