Name/TitleThe Great South Sea Caterpillar, transform’d into a Bath Butterfly
About this objectThe 1795 first issue of a famous satirical cartoon making fun of Sir Joseph Banks metamorphosing into a splendid butterfly and being ridiculed for using the Royal Order of the Bath for self-promotion.
The hand coloured engraving is by James Gillray who was the leading English caricaturist of his time. In the letterpress under his portrait of Banks as a metamorphosing butterfly Gillray explains his work:
"Description of the New Bath Butterfly…taken from the Philosophical Transactions for 1795. This insect first crawl’d into notice from among the Weeds & Mud on the Banks of the South Sea and being afterwards placed in a warm situation, by the Royal Society, was changed by the heat of the Sun into its present form – it is notic’d and Valued Solely on account of the beautiful Red which encircles its Body, & the Shining Spot on its Breast; a Distinction which never fails to render Caterpillars valuable…”.
Portraits of Banks by the famous artists of the day strengthened his position as the great statesman of science, recognised by the King for increasing Britain’s scientific, imperial and commercial reputation. But as social conditions in Britain were harsh, every opportunity was taken by the leading cartoonists to attack the monarchy and the people seen to be celebrated as their appointed heroes.
MakerJames Gillray - Artist
Maker RoleArtist
Date Made1795
Period18th century
Medium and MaterialsPaper and ink.
Place MadeLondon, United Kingdom
Inscription and MarksDescription of the New Bath Butterfly…taken from the Philosophical Transactions for 1795. This insect first crawl’d into notice from among the Weeds & Mud on the Banks of the South Sea and being afterwards placed in a warm situation, by the Royal Society, was changed by the heat of the Sun into its present form – it is notic’d and Valued Solely on account of the beautiful Red which encircles its Body, & the Shining Spot on its Breast; a Distinction which never fails to render Caterpillars valuable…’
TechniqueEngraving
Measurements46.8 cm x 31.7 cm.
Object TypeCartoons
Copyright Licence
Attribution - Non-commercial - No Derivatives (cc)
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The Delta carried 29 crew and passengers, while sailing from Melbourne to Batavia in ballast when wrecked at Kenn Reefs on 30 May 1854 whilst under the command of Captain J.G. Kunst. This vessel loss supports the pattern of shipwrecks located on a well-travelled shipping route that was poorly charted until the mid-nineteenth century. The crew of the Delta could see four other shipwrecks at Kenn Reefs at the time of their vessel’s loss.
Important image of a ship associated with Matthew Flinders, that would shortly become one of the most famous early shipwrecks in eastern Australian waters. This is a fine ship’s portrait, by one of the great exponents of the art