Existing comment:
James Gillray,
Wierd-Sisters; Ministers of Darkness; Minions of the Moon, 1791
This parody of Henry Fuseli's painting, Weird Sisters (misspelled "Wierd" in the print), alludes to the bout of madness suffered by King George III (1738 – 1820). He appears as the dark and waning face of the moon, while his wife, Queen Charlotte, is shown on the bright and waxing side. Although Fuseli's painting depicts the three witches from Macbeth, Gillray transformed the figures into three politicians -- identified in this impression by an inscription in Gillray's own hand -- who watch anxiously to see whether the king's health will return. Their gestures and tense expressions betray their fear that the king will be declared unfit to rule and the Prince of Wales, their opponent, will replace him. |