A Mungo Macaroni

1772

Unknown artist (published by M. Darly)

Etching

The men in these caricatures are “macaronis.” Originally coined to describe elite young Englishmen freshly returned from the Grand Tour, the term soon came to mean a person of any rank who “exceed[s] the ordinary bounds of fashion.” By the early 1770s, the macaroni was an established male type, distinguishable by his tight-fitting clothes, oversized sword, delicate shoes, and large wig. Frequently mocked for his excessive, “effeminate” concern with outward appearance and promiscuous adoption of foreign styles of dress and comportment, the macaroni confounded established notions of gender, sexual, and national identity.

Between 1771 and 1773, the print publishers Matthew and Mary Darly produced nearly 150 satirical “macaroni” prints with resounding success. While some of these prints depict generic London types, others contain portraits of well-known individuals. The subject of A Mungo Macaroni is Julius Soubise (ca. 1754–1798), who also appears in another caricature published by the Darlys.

Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, 772.9.10.1

http://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/11705494

Related Media

M. Darly, A Mungo Macaroni M. Darly, A Mungo Macaroni

M. Darly, The Timorous Sporting Macaroni M. Darly, The Timorous Sporting Macaroni (January 16, 1773), hand-colored etching. Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, Folio 72 771 D37 v. 6

M. Darly, The Oriental Macaroni M. Darly, The Oriental Macaroni (January 16, 1773), hand-colored etching. Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, Folio 72 771 D37 v. 6

M. Darly, A Macaroni Waiter M. Darly, A Macaroni Waiter (December 11, 1772), hand-colored etching. Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, Folio 72 771 D37 v. 5

M. Darly, The Bath Macaroni M. Darly, The Bath Macaroni (June 1, 1772), hand-colored etching. Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, Folio 72 771 D37 v. 3