“Picturesque View of the State of the Nation”
Engraving — Circa 1778 — 6 x 8½ inches
 
A satirical engraving first issued in the Westminster Magazine (February 1778), offering a pointed visual commentary on British commercial decline amid the global pressures of the American Revolutionary War. The composition renders British commerce as a cow beset by rival powers, an allegory both vivid and caustic in its critique.
 
An English figure stands in visible distress while the British lion, emblem of imperial strength, lies dormant. At center, a Dutchman draws milk from the cow, as an American figure saws away one horn—symbolizing the loss of the colonies. Nearby, representatives of France and Spain await their share, bowls in hand, underscoring the opportunism of Britain’s European adversaries during the conflict.
 
Widely reprinted in its time, the image reflects contemporary anxieties surrounding trade, empire, and military overextension. As with many engravings of the period, it distills complex geopolitical realities into a sharply observed and enduring visual metaphor.
 
Condition: Very fine.