| Summary: | Influenced by George Cruikshank's 'Moulinet-Elegances of Quadrille Dancing', published 11 April 1817 by Hannah Humphrey, 27 St James's Street, London; see BM Satires 12926. This print lettered with title "Moulinet - Elegancies of Quadrille Dancing. Fifth Set." and publication line "Pub. by McCleary Nassau St. Dublin". Cropped within plate mark. [A 'Moulinet' in a quadrille is similar to dancing a reel is a set dance]. Five couples are depicted in a room with a boarded floor; eight of the group are dancing a quadrille, while two gentleman stand in front of the red coals of the fire at the chimney piece in centre of the room, engaged in conversation. At the right of the image, a man in uniform bows to a woman, who smiles back at him. Overhead, in minstrels' gallery, musicians (several violinists and a harpist amongst others) play. The women wear all wear very low cut, high-waisted Empire-line dresses and pumps on their feets, while the men wear coats with narrow tails and tight pantaloons or knee-breeches with the man in the right foreground, seen from behind, wearing loose trousers. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, the jets issuing from a hoop; a red chaise longue is present at extreme left of room. Mirrors with sconces hang on the wall, either side of the chimney piece, which has a large over mirror.
|
|---|
