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In the German publication, described as "Der Laternmacher"

A lantern maker working at his bench, talking to a woman customer who inspects a finished lantern. Woodcut by J. Amman.

1 print : etching and letterpress ; platemark 20.4 x 18.6 cm

Three men carousing beneath a mulberry tree, with verses of a song comparing the life of humans to the life of a tree. Etching after I. Cruikshank, 1808.

1 print : mezzotint ; platemark 35.6 x 25.6 cm

A woman sleeps at a table as one man lights his pipe and another tries to wake her. Mezzotint by W. Baillie, c. 1774, after G. Dou.

A similar drawing attributed to Rowlandson, but without signature or date, is in the Royal College of Surgeons of England. See this catalogue, nos 25643i and 25668i, for other satires on body theft

1 drawing : pen and ink, with watercolour ; image 26.2 x 21.1 cm

Two men placing the shrouded corpse which they have just disinterred into a sack while Death, as a nightwatchman holding a lantern, grabs one of the grave-robbers from behind. Coloured drawing by T. Rowlandson, 1775.

1 drawing : pencil, with sepia wash ; image 22.8 x 15 cm

Two Chinese men stand by a shop window while opium smokers sit on the terrace above. Pencil drawing with sepia wash by W. J. Bellairs, 19th century.

Bible. N.T. Matthew 27.26-30; Mark 15.15-20; Luke 23.16-22; John 19.1-2. Jesus is bound to the pillar. A man beneath holds a piece of rope. To his right a man binds a clutch of twigs for scourging. A soldier beats Christ with one such; another, with his back to us, uses folded straps. To the right a Jew looks on, raising his finger. Behind him is an Egyptian wearing a long hat decorated with two feathers and a jewel. To the right a soldier looks sadly on, holding his shield. A child holds a lantern

1 print : line engraving ; image 41.4 x 29.1 cm

The mocking and flagellation of Christ. Line engraving by G. Sadeler after J. Palma the elder.

A nightwatchman, carrying a large lantern, has seized the body-snatcher by the shoulder and sounds a rattle in his raised right hand. A female corpse in its burial shroud falls out of the hamper in which it had been carried before being dropped. The body-snatcher tries to pass on the blame by pointing to the fleeing anatomist, who runs away to the right with a skull in the crook of his arm
The rise of private anatomy schools in eighteenth-century London saw an increase in the demand for cadavers for dissection and this in turn led to the employment of "Resurrectionists", body-snatchers who would steal corpses for use in the new schools. One of these schools was run by William Hunter (1718-1783) and he is referred to in this print by the dropped piece of paper inscribed "Hunter's lectu<res>". M.D. George in the British Museum catalogue (loc. cit.) describes the running man as "a lean man in a doctor's tie-wig" and identifies him as William Hunter himself. For other satires on William Hunter and his anatomy school and museum, see the Wellcome Library catalogue, nos 25405i and 25435i

Nature display'd both serious & comic in 12 designs dedicated to S. Foot Esq.r

1 print : etching, with engraving ; platemark 29.1 x 39.8 cm.

A nightwatchman disturbs a body-snatcher who has dropped the stolen corpse he had been carrying in a hamper, while the anatomist runs away. Etching with engraving by W. Austin, 1773.

1 print : aquatint with etching ; platemark 34.4 x 44.5 cm

The adoration of the shepherds in a darkened barn. Aquatint with etching by V. Vivant-Denon after N. Maes.

The midwife carries a lantern and a bottle (of gin?). She wears pattens to help her walk over the irregular surface of the street. Diagonal lines in the sky may indicate a rain storm. In the right background, a chimney-sweep holding his instruments cries out his services, indicating an early hour of the morning before the householders were up. On the left a night watchman slumbers

Tegg's caricatures

1 print : etching, with watercolour ; platemark 35.2 x 24.6 cm.

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A lantern maker working at his bench, talking to a woman customer who inspects a finished lantern. Woodcut by J. Amman.

Three men carousing beneath a mulberry tree, with verses of a song comparing the life of humans to the life of a tree. Etching after I. Cruikshank, 1808.

A woman sleeps at a table as one man lights his pipe and another tries to wake her. Mezzotint by W. Baillie, c. 1774, after G. Dou.

Two men placing the shrouded corpse which they have just disinterred into a sack while Death, as a nightwatchman holding a lantern, grabs one of the grave-robbers from behind. Coloured drawing by T. Rowlandson, 1775.

Two Chinese men stand by a shop window while opium smokers sit on the terrace above. Pencil drawing with sepia wash by W. J. Bellairs, 19th century.

The mocking and flagellation of Christ. Line engraving by G. Sadeler after J. Palma the elder.

A nightwatchman disturbs a body-snatcher who has dropped the stolen corpse he had been carrying in a hamper, while the anatomist runs away. Etching with engraving by W. Austin, 1773.

The adoration of the shepherds in a darkened barn. Aquatint with etching by V. Vivant-Denon after N. Maes.

An obese midwife on her way to a labour in the early hours of the morning. Coloured etching by T. Rowlandson, 1811.

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A lantern maker working at his bench, talking to a woman customer who inspects a finished lantern. Woodcut by J. Amman.

Three men carousing beneath a mulberry tree, with verses of a song comparing the life of humans to the life of a tree. Etching after I. Cruikshank, 1808.

A woman sleeps at a table as one man lights his pipe and another tries to wake her. Mezzotint by W. Baillie, c. 1774, after G. Dou.

Two men placing the shrouded corpse which they have just disinterred into a sack while Death, as a nightwatchman holding a lantern, grabs one of the grave-robbers from behind. Coloured drawing by T. Rowlandson, 1775.

Two Chinese men stand by a shop window while opium smokers sit on the terrace above. Pencil drawing with sepia wash by W. J. Bellairs, 19th century.

The mocking and flagellation of Christ. Line engraving by G. Sadeler after J. Palma the elder.

A nightwatchman disturbs a body-snatcher who has dropped the stolen corpse he had been carrying in a hamper, while the anatomist runs away. Etching with engraving by W. Austin, 1773.

The adoration of the shepherds in a darkened barn. Aquatint with etching by V. Vivant-Denon after N. Maes.

An obese midwife on her way to a labour in the early hours of the morning. Coloured etching by T. Rowlandson, 1811.

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

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Wellcome collection