Mr. O’Leary charges a Mob

DESCRIPTION: This is an antique steel engraving titled "Mr. O'Leary charges the mob", illustrated by Hablot Knight Browne, widely known by his pen name "Phiz". The illustration is taken from Charles Lever's comic novel The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer, first published in 1839 and making this print a first edition plate. The scene depicts a chaotic street melee with horses rearing and figures tumbling as O’Leary unintentionally charges the crowd! His horse, Marius, was previously trained as a military or police horse and instinctively responded to an official command. When a squad of mounted police arrived to disperse a street riot, their sergeant gave the order to charge. Marius instantly responds to his old conditioning, bolting forward and taking a helpless, terrified O'Leary directly into the middle of the mob! STYLE: Engraving COLOUR: Monochrome SIZE (cm; mount board typically a few mm larger): 12.5 x 17.75 CREATORS: “Phiz” PUBLICATION: The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer PUBLISHER: London: George Routledge and Sons DATE: 1839 COMMENTS: Excellent condition with surrounding patina of antiquity. SUBJECT: "Phiz" Caricaturist;Special Collection;Satire PACKAGE: Single one-sided sheet in acid-free mount, flat & unfolded inside hard-backed envelope. Royal Mail Tracked 24 included. Note: Images are provided for illustration purposes only and are intended to show the complete printed product, including any imperfections of age that may be present. Frames or props shown in the images are for display purposes only and are not included with your purchase.