No, really. Somehow the artists of the eighteenth century had a way of adding a dose of l'esprit to any topic, most particularly those topics surrounding sex. Rather than the crude humor we fall back on today, they tend toward the tongue-in-cheek, the ironic, the pun. As with these, all from 1781:
An English Sloop Engaging a Dutch Man of War
A Man of War towing a Frigate into Harbor
An English Man of War taking a French Privateer
In each of these, the sailor is referred to as a Man of War and his lady friend is a classification of ship--English Sloop, French Privateer, and a Frigate (not sure which port she sails out of). This is amusing enough as ships were often referred to then (as today) with feminine pronouns--that is, a ship is a "she." Adding to the joke is the verbiage used to describe what the two "ships" are doing--"engaging" is to open hostilities with or begin battle, "towing" is for one ship to haul another (often after one has been damaged and taken as a prize) "taking" is to be victorious over, (sometimes literally taking the ship as a prize), in martial nautical parlance. So these are all double-entendres that tell us quite clearly what each couple is doing.
All from WalpoleWeb.
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5 comments:
These are fantastic! I too love that tongue-in-cheek way that 18th century artists and writers have. You are officially my go-to girl (well, gentlewoman) for entertaining 18th c prints! Thank you :)
This brings a whole new meaning to the "tight little frigate" in Centlivre's play, The Basset Table. Yes, pre-Victorian humor was full of sex and other naughty things.
Haha, how clever. Why ever don't we use such humor today? It's a pity we resort to crude language.
I’m always learning so much about the history from your blog!
I loved these- the expressions on their faces are very funny :)
I love looking at old pictures/ads/comics! Thanks for sharing. :D
- Corra
The Victorian Heroine
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