A City Rout

St. George made fun of the “new rich” of England with this cartoon. A rout is a large, fashionable gathering of people. The men and women in this scene are dancing, playing cards, drinking, eating, and examining art, all activities associated with ladies and gentlemen. However, the mismatched clothing and unattractive faces and postures of these men and women suggest their lower social standing from Richard Mansergh St. George’s point of view. The woman in the right foreground has five dark marks on her face, a sign of unhealthiness, perhaps due to her sexual activity.

A City Rout
Drawn by Richard Mansergh St. George; Published by Matthew and Mary Darly
March 14, 1772
Etching
Courtesy of The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University