Mr. O’ Leary’s Double Capture

DESCRIPTION: This is an antique steel engraving titled "Mr. O'Leary's double capture", 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. In the center, a man wearing a top hat (Mr. O'Leary) is being physically restrained and apprehended by multiple figures amid a dense, rowdy commotion. To the left, a uniformed French gendarme looker-on monitors the brawl, thus establishing the setting as a bustling French town square or thoroughfare. While on the far left, a specialized street vendor carries a large portable metal beverage dispenser (a traditional hot coffee or cocoa machine) on his back. In the background, onlookers watch from a balcony while a packed horse-drawn omnibus tries to maneuver through the chaotic crowd. Poor O’Leary had disguised himself with a heavy beard as a Polish nobleman named the "Compte O'Lieuki". The French gendarmes mistake him for a genuine, dangerous Polish revolutionary who has recently threatened the French Minister of War. At the same time, his estranged Irish wife (Mrs. Ram/O'Leary), from whom he was actively trying to hide from and avoid by using the disguise—spots him in the street and physically grabs onto him as well! 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.