George Cruikshank

An Interesting Scene on board an East-Indiaman, showing the effects of a Heavy Lurch, after dinner.

21 x 17 inches

In this uproarious caricature we witness what so many of us have felt whether it's been on a choppy crossing to the Isle of Wight or aboard a pleasure cruiser on the Thames. Dinner is over and the boat hits some turbulent conditions. Within seconds everything is in chaos. Ladies are thrown from their chairs, toddlers are abandoned, howling on the deck and the waiter loses control of the punch bowl. Only the most portly of gentlemen, seen on the far side of the table weighed down by their girth, appear oblivious to the conditions and able to carry on drinking. Amidst the confusion the ladies have abandoned any sense of decorum and in an attempt to steady themselves have grabbed on to anything they can find: a gentleman's nose, a wig and a crotch!