The Harliquinade 

• 1909 
• Pritchard, Stanger 
• Drawing 
• Historical item 

5973031

Drawings / paintings

The Harliquinade

37.5 x 26.5 cm

1909

Original cartoon illustration on board in ink for a Christmas card, 1909, shows a number of British politicians, David Lloyd George, Herbert Asquith and Andrew Bonar Law acting out a harlequinade or pantomime on the year’s political issues, in particular the 1909 budget. In April Lloyd George, chancellor of the exchequer, introduced a budget designed “to wage implacable warfare against poverty and squalidness”, which became known as the People’s Budget. Income tax and death duties were both raised and a new supertax at sixpence in the pound was levied on very high incomes above £5,000 a year (equivalent to more than £350,000 today). There was also a controversial proposal for a capital gains tax on the value of land. The House of Lords (probably the policeman here) rejected this budget and this was the first impulse toward the Parliament Act of 1911 (‘House of Lords closed for alterations and repairs’) which finally prevented the Lords endlessly blocking legislation from the House of Commons. The Act wholly removed the right of the Lords to veto finance bills and effectively meant that the Lords could only delay legislation but not prevent it coming into force. Stanger Pritchard was a British illustrator and cartoonist who produced work in different genres and media. This was designed as his own Christmas card (‘Print 250' is written in pencil on verso). Card size 37.5 x 26.5 cm (15 x 10 inch), image size 33 x 26 cm, signed lower right, dated lower left. Only slight soiling/spotting in places and corners a little dog-eared, otherwise in very good condition.