
The prolific James Gillray often included Classical nautical references in his contemporary political satires. Around the time of the French Revolution, Gillray depicted the British prime minister William Pitt as the wandering Odysseus, who pilots a small vessel holding the buxom Britannia through a dangerous strait toward the “Haven of Public Happiness.” Pitt attempts to steer between two conflicting forms of government: a whirlpool (Charybdis) on the right, symbolizing the crown and absolute monarchy, and a perilous rock with lurking monster (Scylla) on the left, representing democracy.

The Fashionable Mamma, or, The Convenience of Modern Dress
James Gillray (English, 1756-1815) published by Hannah Humphrey (English, c. 1745-1818)

The Zenith of French Glory; The Pinnacle of Liberty
James Gillray (English, 1756-1815) published by Hannah Humphrey (English, c. 1745-1818)

"Oh! that this too too solid flesh would melt."
James Gillray (English, 1756-1815) published by Hannah Humphrey (English, c. 1745-1818)