State of the English Nation [Toestand der Engelsche Natie] 1775 - 1785

Curator: Here we have an etching and engraving, dating roughly from 1775 to 1785, titled "State of the English Nation". Its creator is listed only as Anonymous. Editor: Well, "anonymous" seems appropriate given the sharp satire going on here. My first thought? What a wonderfully bizarre scene! A cow being butchered by competing interests while a distressed gentleman wrings his hands, and then a lion…it’s all very theatrical. Curator: The print indeed operates on allegory. That cow, you see, represents England, being milked, cut, and generally exploited by various European powers: Spain, France, the Dutch. America too, gets a little milk, depicted milking from underneath. Editor: Ah, so the States aren’t exactly presented as blameless in all this, are they? Sneaky of them, under the cow like that, though quite innovative to secure their "milk". The ship offshore must allude to Naval ambitions? It all comes together to describe chaos in my view. Curator: Exactly. And the figure with his hands clasped, wringing them in apparent grief? That represents England. Powerless and divided, watching as its empire is carved away. And notice the lion at the lower right. Traditionally, the symbol of England, but look closer; weak, emaciated, and plagued by…monkeys. Editor: So, the monkeys represent the trivial distractions of the time distracting him, that makes sense. The monkeys on his back prevent any possible action. But what is that building in the distance? A place, or the allegory of it? Curator: That's meant to represent Philadelphia, solidifying the setting of the artwork within the context of the British involvement in the US Independence conflicts, and serving as a reminder that England is losing. Editor: It’s brutal, this print, in its assessment. England's pride laid low. One of the greatest ironies, to know it all went downhill to that lion who now can't fight back. A good cautionary tale, wouldn't you say? Curator: Certainly a sharp and lasting piece of political commentary from a fraught historical moment. It really drives home how public imagery, even unsigned, can be a potent tool for shaping opinion.