Dog Days - Legislation Going to the Dogs from George Cruikshank's Steel Etchings to The Comic Almanacks: 1835-1853 (top left) c. 1844 - 1880

Editor: We're looking at "Dog Days - Legislation Going to the Dogs," a print by George Cruikshank, created sometime between 1844 and 1880. It's an etching, and there's a definite narrative feel to it, almost like a comic strip panel. The whole thing is quite detailed, and a little bit absurd, actually! I am intrigued. What's your interpretation of this peculiar scene? Curator: Peculiar is an understatement! It is Cruikshank at his finest. His works serve as a mirror, reflecting society's follies and anxieties back at itself, all wrapped up in a hearty dose of humor. Do you notice how the dogs are dressed in human clothing? That's the crux of the joke. Editor: Absolutely! I see them now – dressed as proper gentlemen, pushing a tiny legislative carriage... Curator: Exactly! The clothing on those dogs – and how self-important they appear – lampoons the human tendency to inflate our own importance. Cruikshank brilliantly satirizes the pomposity of the British legal system, or the ridiculous nature of those in power, making "legislation" a matter best left to the dogs, in a cage no less! This was a time of significant social upheaval, don't forget. What do you make of the crowds in the other panels? Editor: Ah, the chaos seems to spread. The panel labeled “A Charity Ball – Dancing for the Million” looks like a direct dig at upper-class society and then there's a panel showing pure and total market chaos, it's intense. Curator: Yes. I agree! Cruikshank leaves no societal stone unturned, taking aim at philanthropy, or wild speculation with a deft hand. What I adore about it all, and what perhaps can be lost on contemporary audiences, is his wit! The image, as well as the words and labels in each scene, demands the audience possess a sophisticated eye for humor as well as understand cultural critique. The scenes appear chaotic and wild and are, if one examines closely, deeply satirical! Editor: I see that now, it all holds a certain satirical complexity. I definitely appreciate the artistry involved in layering humor within these intricate scenes. Curator: Indeed! There is an intellectual demand made of the viewer to laugh at something real!