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Sleeping Partners in a Doubtful Concern

18 of 29 portraits of Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond and Lennox

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Sleeping Partners in a Doubtful Concern

by John ('HB') Doyle, printed by Alfred Ducôte, published by Thomas McLean
lithograph, published 13 June 1833
11 1/4 in. x 16 3/8 in. (286 mm x 415 mm) overall
Acquired, before 1900
Reference Collection
NPG D41203

Artistsback to top

  • John ('HB') Doyle (1797-1868), 'HB'; caricaturist. Artist or producer associated with 746 portraits, Sitter in 1 portrait.
  • Alfred Ducôte (active 1830-1840), Lithographer and lithographic printer. Artist or producer associated with 462 portraits.
  • Thomas McLean (1788-1875), Publisher and dealer. Artist or producer associated with 1058 portraits.

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Events of 1833back to top

Current affairs

Shaftesbury's Factory Act is passed regulating women's hours and providing for the education of children working in the textile industry.
Bank Act is passed, making Bank of England notes Britain's legal tender.

Art and science

Charles Lamb publishes Last Essays of Elia after the enormous success of his earlier Essays. A comic allegorization of his humdrum clerical job they become one of the period's literary sensations.
Charles Dickens begins his series Sketches by Boz in the Monthly Magazine.

International

Abolition of slavery in the British Empire; 780,000 slaves are freed, £20 million is allocated as compensation for slave owners and a six year apprenticeship system for freed slaves is established.

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Dr. Miranda Kaufmann

22 November 2021, 09:43

The context of this picture is explained in the following extract from the diary of Lord Holland, 29th May 1833:

29 Wednesday. Dutch ratification is arrived, and the peace between the Turk and Egyptian is signed manque the Muscovite. The Cabinet (Carlisle excepted who is unwell) dined at Holland House. We had some discussion on the bank and a great deal on the resolutions abolishing Slavery. We settled that Althorp or Stanley should announce the change of 15 Million loan to a grant, convert the fund for paying the interest to a duty on sugar from a tax on the Negro’s labour and, at his discretion, consent to augment the sum from 15 to 20 millions.

[in the margin: After discussion was over, Melbourne on one couch and Ch[arles] Grant on another went fast asleep. Grey said jokingly we should blow out the candles and leave them; and about a week or ten days later a caricature by HB was in all the shops representing our two colleagues asleep at Holland House and the rest of us escaping with our Candles!]

For the significance of the discussion which left Melbourne and Grant so exhausted, and yet so unconcerned that they were able to rest easy, see Michael Taylor, The Interest (2020), esp. Chapter 17, and p.266.