The New Parliament Pudding or John Bull's Treat 1827 - 1837

Curator: Look at this delightful, yet biting, social commentary! This is "The New Parliament Pudding or John Bull's Treat," an anonymous work, dating sometime between 1827 and 1837, created with ink and watercolor, printed and drawn upon paper. Editor: My first thought? Claustrophobia. All those figures crammed around the table, the pudding dominating the scene...it feels like a pressure cooker of social tension. Curator: The pudding, quite literally, is packed. Etched into its dark surface are names of individuals, factions perhaps, associated with the "Reform Parliament". This central object isn't merely food; it's a visual symbol loaded with political actors and agendas. Editor: Right, it's a meal of power! And who gets a slice? Look at the one man, he’s resting his foot, conspicuously gouty, atop a cushion—he gets to literally elevate himself above it all, while those around him, the working class, hope for even a crumb of that parliamentary pie! It is visually communicating how the reformed Parliament still favored the landed gentry, despite its supposed reforms. Curator: Indeed. Caricatures have a long and fruitful history in social criticism, like dream imagery or other symbols; they reflect unspoken cultural sentiments. Consider the symbolism of John Bull – representing the ideal of English national identity. He is being ‘treated’ – is he really? Editor: It is condescending, right? Note too that John Bull is shown as physically suffering: the gout references illness and thus his inability to take advantage of the Parliament; instead, those nearby literally lift his glass in his honor. Are they celebrating a nation unable to challenge inequity? The artist employs recognizable characters, as well as bold font, to provoke its intended audience. Curator: I'm struck by the table setting—reminiscent of feasts from medieval tapestries. The artist is intentionally invoking visual memory – linking a long legacy of hierarchy with a present reality of class struggle. There are long arcs to cultural memory – here is a political cartoon reflecting and also critiquing social practices. Editor: And that's why this print resonates beyond its historical moment. It's a reminder that access, equality, and representation are constantly under negotiation. These people represent political parties who either believe that their political presence is ‘excellent’ while the pudding's symbolism may offer clues. Who will truly benefit from the treat? Curator: Absolutely. It causes me to ponder on the ways power continues to be visualized. Editor: And it encourages us to question the stories we’re told about progress and who actually benefits.