Robert Sayer

The Last Drop

4.5 x 6 inches

A mezzotint droll published by Robert Sayer in London in 1787.

A delightfully grotesque caricature from a genre that became known as "Drolls". Drolls were all the rage in Georgian England, collected for their satirical, mischievous and often smutty humour. It was not uncommon for serious engravers to turn their hands to the engraving of these charming little caricatures. In this image we see a corpulent youth enjoying the dregs of the bottle and gloating that he has finished it off. His neckerchief and wig suggest that he might even be from the legal profession!