The Female Bruisers, 1768

The Female Bruisers, John Collet, 1768, Museum of London.

The Female Bruisers, engraved by J. Goldar after John Collet, 1770, Yale University Lewis Walpole Library.

Once again I am indebted to Adam Hodges-LeClaire for pointing me to this piece.

John Collet pops up here and there on this website. His A Rescue, or the Tars Triumphant is one of my absolute favorite pieces.  I had glanced at this piece in the past, but didn't put much thought into it, as it did not have an apparent maritime connection.

That is, until Adam pointed me to the right of the frame.

Two sailors, happy to take in the free entertainment of a pair of 'Female Bruisers,' restrain a madam from interfering. These mariners are the opposite for the righteous defenders of prostitutes Collet extolled in The Tars Triumphant.

The Museum of London Version is the original, but is also low resolution, so I'm pairing it with a high resolution print from the Yale University Lewis Walpole Library to tease out the details.

The sailor in the foreground wears a cocked hat bound in gold or white tape over a loose white bob wig. His blue jacket with white metal buttons is double breasted, and the mariners' cuffs are open. A closely knotted handkerchief of indeterminate pattern hangs from his neck.  It rests over a single breasted waistcoat with narrow horizontal stripes. His check shirt is peeking out from under the jacket. Red breeches are tied at the knee. His shoes bear rectangular buckles.

His mate wears a single breasted jacket over a plain single breasted waistcoat. Our mariner's shirt is open, and he is notably without a handkerchief.

The Press Gang, c.1760

The Press Gang, John Collet, c.1760's, from The Foundling Museum.

I was directed to this image by The 18th Century Material Cultural Resource Center. Among their many excellent slideshows are a few focused on naval material culture.

Unfortunately, the Foundling Museum does not have a date for this piece. The 18th Century Material Culture Resource center gives this an approximate dating of c.1760's. Based on the clothing worn by men and women throughout this painting, I would agree with that approximation. As with many tavern scenes of the time, this is a chaotic piece with a lot going on.

Starting at the far left is a tar sharing a word with a woman, possibly his wife. He gestures toward a boy who holds what appears to be a British flag. The sailor wears the familiar reversed cocked hat, perhaps with the brim bound in tape. The tar's blue jacket ends about the middle of the thigh, with slash cuffs. His neckcloth and waistcoat are both red, and his white petticoat trousers that end just below the knee. Gray stockings lead to round toe shoes, but the quality of this copy does not allow us to see the buckles. The boy also wears the dress of a sailor: a round hat with cylindrical crown bound in white tape, blue jacket, and plain white trousers.

In the right of the frame, a pair of sailors drag a poor chap before woman on her knee, pleading for his release. The jack on the left is wearing a  cocked hat, red neckcloth, blue short jacket, petticoat trousers, and plain white or gray stockings. His mate on the right is wearing precisely the same slop clothes, though he might be holding a walking stick.

In the foreground at the right is a sailor lounging on a bench and lifting a lidded tankard. His cocked hat is turned with the point forward, and he wears a red jacket. The petticoat trousers hang long, but we can still see the gray or white stockings about his legs.

In the background a mess of tars play cards and carouse with women. They wear cocked hats and cocked hats, and the bareheaded mariners on the right wear bob wigs. Though the image is faded, they appear to be wearing red neckcloths and waistcoats.

A Rescue, or the Tars Triumphant, 1767 and 1768

A Rescue, or the Tars Triumphant, Butler Clowes after John Collet, 1768, British Museum.

A Rescue, or the Tars Triumphant, Butler Clowes after John Collet, 1768, Walpole Library.

A Rescue, or the Tars Triumphant, John Collet, 1767, Open Art Collection.

Clowes' print of Collet's painting was a popular one. Copies of these prints exist in the British Museum, Yale University Lewis Walpole Library, the Royal Collection Trust, and the Yale Center for British Art. The original painting was sold at auction in 1998, but I have yet to determine precisely where it is housed. A private collector may be in possession.

The May 1767 edition of Gentleman's Magazine thought well of a recent exhibition that included John Collet's works, specifically this painting and his "Recruiting Serjeant."

Mr Collet imitates the manner of Hogarth with great success; he has shewn a great deal of humour both in his recruiting serjeant and the Rescue, or the Tars triumphant; he is very much improved in his colouring, since the last exhibition. 

Collet's chaotic scene is one of sailors fighting off lawmen to rescue an attractive young woman and her retinue. On the ground is a man with a brand new concussion, reaching toward a warrant issued for "J. Seale." Presumably, J. Seale is the woman being lifted from the carriage by the wooden legged tar. I have not yet determined if J. Seale is an actual person, or simply a character invented for the scene. A portly constable points to his tipstaff, but is a rather inexperienced chap: out of his back pocket sticks an instructional pamphlet entitled "The Compleat Peace Officer."

Starting on the left, we begin with a sailor giving a kiss to a woman who feigns an insincere protest, while lifting the tarpawlin's watch. He wears a black cap and his hair is cut short. The neckcloth is patterned, but the exact pattern is difficult to make out. His double breasted blue jacket with white metal buttons and white piping ends below the waist and is made with flap pockets at the waist and open mariner's cuffs. Otherwise, he wears slops/petticoat trousers, white stockings, and pointed toe shoes with white metal rectangular buckles. In his right hand is a short stick.

Our next subject is a right salty tar! Wooden legged, scarred, and scowling, he clutches the woman while staring down what might be a constable or sheriff. He wears a red round hat (possibly treated leather) with wide brim, short hair or bob wig, and a blue neckcloth. His red jacket is trimmed in a light colored tape with white metal buttons, and waist pockets without buttons. There is a single vent in the back of his jacket. His waistcoat is almost the same length as the jacket or perhaps even longer. The front of the waistcoat is striped in red, and is backed in a plain brown fabric. Our jack wears slops and a blue stocking. The pointed toe shoe with a rectangular buckle at his foot steps on the wig of the fellow with the head wound.

Above the scene and cheering the fray is a jolly tar waving his plain black cocked hat. Though like his mates his hair is short, it looks like he's got a rather nasty case of hat hair. The neckcloth at his chest is white and striped in red. His brown jacket is double breasted and lined, with white buttons, and open mariner's cuffs. Beneath it is a red single breasted waistcoat, leading to his white trousers with thin blue stripes running vertically. White stockings lead into pointed toe shoes with rectangular white metal buckles.

The most aggressive sailor takes the portly officer by his collar. The sailor wears a particularly neat cocked hat, trimmed in thick tape of gold. It bears no cockade, but a large button and loop on the right side. A bob wig ends well above the collar, showing off the red neckcloth with white dots that he wears. The waistcoat is single breasted with horizontal red stripes. He wears a fairly nice blue jacket, trimmed in white, double breasted, with waist pocket and slash open cuffs, as well as white buttons. Behind his cudgel we see that, unlike his mates, he wears a pair of red breeches. His stockings are black, but we don't get a good view of his shoes or buckles.

At the far right we see another sailor actively involved in fighting off the watch. He wears a cocked hat trimmed in white tape, and a dark colored bob wig. His neckcloth is red and the jacket is trimmed like the others with has slash cuffs, though has no waist pockets. It appears that his jacket is double vented. Once more, he wears white stockings and slops.

The Mutual Embrace, 1774

The Mutual Embrace, John Collet, 1774, British Museum.

Think this looks a bit familiar? If you've been following this blog, you may recognize this as the exact post and scenario from Rowlandson's later "The Sailor's Return from Active Service."

Borrowing (or stealing) from other artists and printers was widespread in the eighteenth century, so it's not surprising to see the image lifted. What is interesting is that Rowlandson elected to give the sailor his leg back.

Our hobbling tar wears a cocked hat trimmed with white tape, along with a loop and button. About his neck is a dotted neckcloth, tucked into his fancy embroidered waistcoat. His double breasted jacket is without collar or lapels, but does sport a simple button down mariner's cuff matching the buttons on his front, and waist pocket flaps. The jacket is lined with a lighter material.  Over his well polished peg leg is a pair of dark slops.

"Bachelor's Fare" Revisited, 1777

Back in January I featured this post addressing the clothing of sailors in the 1777 John Collet print "Bachelor's Fare."

Recently I revisited the online collections of the British Museum and found colorized versions of some of the images I've featured on this blog in the past. I was particularly intrigued by the versions of Bachelor's Fare that were available partly because I love the print, but also because they present two sides of the same coin.

The above is the original I examined, from the collection of the National Maritime Museum.

Two separate colorized versions are in the collection of the British Museum. What makes them valuable to our examination is the stark difference in their coloration.

In this first copy, the sailor in the foreground wears a blue jacket with brass buttons, a yellow neckcloth, blue checked shirt, a gold or yellow trimmed hat with matching cockade, and a pair of trousers with a slight blue hue. His mate in the background has a brown jacket with cloth covered buttons, a white neckcloth, and a yellow waistcoat with brown or black stripes.

The second copy is entirely different. The tarpawlin in the center wears a red jacket with white metal buttons, a black or brown checked shirt, a blue neckcloth dotted with white and yellow. His cocked hat is trimmed in white and fitted with a blue bow. The jack sticking his head through the doorway now wears a blue jacket with brass buttons, a red neckcloth, and a yellow waistcoat with horizontal red stripes.

I have also turned up a third copy that you can buy for yourself over at RareOldPrints.com.

Bachelors Fare, or Bread and Cheese with Kisses, John Collet, printed by Carrington Bowles, 1777, RareOldPrints.com

The Jack in the doorway wears a blue coat with white metal buttons over a white waistcoat with horizontal stripes. His black hat is untrimmed like the others. The seated fellow wears a red jacket with white metal buttons, a blue check shirt, and red striped waistcoat.

Let this be a warning to us! As much as I nitpick at the details, these prints are not photographs. They are completely subject to the artists', engravers', and colorists' interpretations and choices. It is impossible to know what these subjects really looked like, if indeed they are even based on actual individuals. The best we can hope for through this examination is to come to an idea of what the general appearance of a sailor in the time was.

The Embarkation, c.1760's

"The Embarkation," John Collet, c. 1760's, National Maritime Museum.

In this colorful, but unfinished piece by Collet, a portly landsman tries to climb aboard a vessel with his feet divided by two boats. While he struggles, a sailor takes the lovely lady above him into his arms, and giving her a none too innocent glance.

The sailor embracing the woman wears a cocked hat trimmed in white with the point forward. His blue jacket has slash cuffs with three large buttons which are either white metal or cloth covered. At his neck is a solid red neckcloth.

To left is another tar reaching through the shrouds with some mail, or perhaps taking a book that the unlucky passenger had unwisely clasped to while trying to board. It appears that the sailor is wearing a black "jockey" style cap. His jacket is red with brass buttons. Behind him is a shipmate with an off white cap, possibly a workman's cap or knit cap. His jacket is also blue, though definitely with white metal buttons.  Forward of these two is another salty fellow with his arms crossed. His cocked hat is reversed, and he wears a red neckcloth. Beneath his blue jacket with white metal buttons and slash cuffs is a waistcoat with narrow and horizontal red stripes. Most interesting are his trousers: very few images of sailors show any color in their striping save for red. On top of that, we see very clearly a broad fall fly, whereas most sailors' trousers show no detail in the fly at all. Quite a treat!

Above them climbs a tar in a pair of trousers, a blue jacket and some unidentifiable cap.

Below these tars in the boat are a pair of mariners trying to load some dunnage. At the bow is a sailor offering the slightest of hands to the distressed landsman. Our seaman wears an odd black and red cap, not unlike that worn by the marines in Gabriel Bray's work aboard the Pallas. This jack is weather beaten: his trousers are patched, his green waistcoat has a gaping hole, and his blue checked shirt is stained. Clutching a box is a half complete sailor. Atop his head is a black round hat with a very narrow brim, and he wears an open red waistcoat. Little more can be said about the figure, as this painting will forever remain unfinished.

Untitled Print, 1770

Untitled Print, John Collet, 1770, British Museum.

In an idyllic rural setting, a tar and his woman share a moment under the shade of the trees. While she gestures to the distant church, jack offers her a purse.

He wears a cocked hat with its point forward and side curls beneath. His jacket hangs down to about the top of his thighs and is lined in white. Our seaman's waistcoat is striped and single breasted with a slight cutaway at the middle. Trousers ending well above the ankle, white stockings, and pointed toe shoes with rectangular buckles round out his slop clothes.

The Sailor's Present, or the Jealous Clown, 1778

The Sailor's Present, or the Jealous Clown, by Carington Bowles from John Collet, 1778, British Museum.

"Clown" had a different connotation in the eighteenth century. In Samuel Johnson's famous "Dictionary of the English Language," he defines a clown as "a rustick, a churl" or "a coarse ill-bred man." In this scene, the clown is the fellow in the back with the tattered coat, scratching his head and gesturing to the cows. His jealousy is direct at the sailor, who boldly reaches for the breast of a handsome young woman with a blue bow. There's a lot to be said about this image, but we're going to focus on the sailor.

He wears a black round hat, with the edge of his short brim upturned. A blue bow is fitted to the left side, not unlike some we've seen in previous images of sailors in shore-going clothes, though notably this is common of Carington Bowles' work.

His jacket is red, an unusually bright color for sailors. It is single breasted with white metal buttons, matching those on his slash cuffs which are buttoned. There is a single button peeking from the back of his jacket, which suggests a vent. There is no evidence of pockets or collar.

His neckcloth is brown spotted in yellow and white, and tucked into his waistcoat, concealing any sign of his shirt. The single breasted waistcoat is fitted with cloth covered buttons. Blue horizontal stripes cut across the off white fabric.

His trousers are dark, nearly brown. They end above the ankle, showing us blue or gray stockings with (if you look carefully) vertical stripes of a darker color! Striped stockings, so common in modern portrayals of eighteenth century sailors, were not the most common in period images of them. This is the first image I've found to show striped stockings, and the decoration is decidedly subtle.

The shoes are pointed toe with rectangular buckles. Beside him rests his trusty walking stick.

Bachelor's Fare - or Bread and Cheese with Kisses, 1777

Bachelor's Fare - or Bread and Cheese with Kisses, John Collet, 1777, National Maritime Museum.

A dolled up bachelor mariner hands a few coins to his lady while leaning in for a kiss. His knowing shipmate stands in the doorway, stealing a glance and putting a knowing finger to his nose. Behind the bachelor hangs a print of two ships fighting in close action, entitled "The Free Briton closely engag'd with the Charming Sally."

The bachelor wears a black cocked hat bound in tape. Our sailor's cockade matches the color of the tape, though the exact color is indeterminate. His hat is cocked over the left eye, rather than the usual right, though this might have been done to give the viewer a better view of the bachelor's face. His hair appears to be a bit longer, possibly tied into a short queue. The tar's neckcloth is a striped fabric, tied loosely at the neck. It appears that he is not wearing a waistcoat, but a checked shirt. His jacket is possibly double breasted, but his left is hidden from view. The buttons appear to be metal, including those at the slash cuffs. The bachelor's trousers end well above the ankle. They are of a far darker than the white stockings he wears. His shoes are pointed toes, and his large buckles are rectangular.

His shipmate in the doorway wears a simple black cocked hat with no cockade. Notably, his hair is curled rather than loose, though whether or not he wears a queue is pure speculation. This jack's neckcloth is a spotted , light colored fabric, tucked into his waistcoat. The waistcoat itself is horizontally striped, and single breasted with metal buttons. His jacket is double breasted and without a collar, and darker than the bachelor's. Like his shipmate, this sailor's cuffs are slashed with five buttons. Unlike his mate, this tar wears a pair of slops, as can be seen with the single large button at his waist. The slops appear to fit over the waistcoat, unlike other images which show the waistcoat on the outside.