Object Details
From:NHerts
Name/TitleSatirical wooden panel from The Biggin
About this objectThis panel was probably commissioned by the owner Robert Snagge, a lawyer and politician. The cartoons mock people including lawyers and the greedy. This is the only one of a series from The Biggin known to survive.
Hertfordshire Historic Environment entry.
Biographical sketch of Robert Snagge’s career as Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel, Cornwall.
The painting was probably commissioned by the owner Robert Snagg, a lawyer and politician. The cartoons mock people including lawyers and the greedy. This is the only one of a series from The Biggin known to survive.
During the first Coronavirus lockdown of 2020 North Hertfordshire Museum Visitor Services Assistant Carys Breeze researched and gave her opinion on this object.
What is the most interesting thing about this object?
This panel is only one of a series from The Biggin known to survive. Dated to the post-1620s there are several hidden messages that have some anti-royalist sentiments. The creator/commissioner of the piece is currently unknown.
Further information
Although this piece is currently (as of the writing of this piece) dated from 1594-1606, looking closely at the fashion depicted in the painting suggests that it dates to a later period. Male fashion during the late Elizabethan and early Stuart period was rapidly changing. The high, starched ruffs associated with the Elizabethan period softened and changed to fall about the shoulders. Sleeves went from tightly fitted, to puffed with slashes showing contrasting coloured fabric beneath. The most identifying feature seen in the painting is the addition of decorative ribbon points at the knee. In combination, these stylings suggest that the painting was based upon the fashions of the mid 1620s or perhaps slightly later.
Knowing when this painting was produced is important for understanding the reasoning behind the spoken word referenced in the image. The piece appears to be a satirical commentary on the greed of members of the populous and other pieces of advice pertaining to moral standing. A detailed transcription and breakdown of each speech banner can be seen below (transcript of image text). A particularly interesting aspect of the painting is the piece of text that has been written in mirror writing. The gentleman providing this speech is seated on the right-hand side of the fireplace. Much of the text is difficult to interpret but there is definite reference to the fire and kings. Whilst at first glance it would be difficult to infer any meaning from this, a key component of this speech is its relation to another visual image within the painting. The gentleman is framing with his hands, two animals in front of the fire: a monkey and a cat. A supposed Aesop’s fable, the story of the monkey and the cat is a story of manipulation and cunning. Whilst sitting by the fire, a monkey notices some chestnuts roasting in the embers and longs to eat them but does not want to burn itself in the flames. It turns to its friend the cat and says, “I am no match for your nimble paws, if you use your skill to fish the delicious chestnuts from the hearth then I will gladly share them with you”. The cat, flattered by this praise, jabs its paw into the fire to retrieve the tasty treat. Due to the extreme heat, it can only remove them one at a time and badly singes itself in the process. Whilst the cat is deftly trying to fetch each chestnut the monkey rapidly eats each chestnut, leaving the poor cat with nothing for its efforts. The English poet and satirist Geoffrey Whitney, active in 1586, produced a slightly extended version of this fable. He made the link between the monkey and the desire of kings, using their subjects to obtain their hearts desires no matter what the cost to others may be. The inclusion of this imagery, with the mirror text alongside, indicates that there is a commentary on the dissatisfaction with the greedy aristocracy that has been hidden from view, possibly for fear of retribution.
This painting was most probably produced during a highly fraught political climate. After the death of Elizabeth 1 (d.1603) came the rule of James 1 (d.1625). Both rulers were overseeing a populous that saw the rise of many satirists and subversives, both of political and religious nature. Meeting places such as alehouses grew massively in popularity at this time and the picture depicts a similar scene, the gathering of men to discuss important topics. One section of speech references this directly (transcript, 5) stating that this group of men gather for discourse pertaining to the actions of others and how they should be used to influence their own behaviour. Not only for drinking these places were for the discussion of ideas, many of which tended towards the political. Depending on when this painting was produced it may well have fallen into the period of disruption that occurred when Charles 1 (d.1649) stepped in to rule after the death of his father. Both James and Charles are reported to have thought themselves as being above the law due to their position as King. Laws that were put into place during their reign angered both parliament, through various dissolvements, and the general public with the introduction of laws that appeared to profit only the royal purse. The majority of the text in the painting discusses the influence of greed and avarice on the hearts and minds of men, acting as a social commentary to many of the ills common at the time. Some of these include comments on royalty and other high standing members of society.
It has been suggested that this piece was commissioned by Robert Snagge (d.1605) whilst he was in residence at the Biggin. He was a puritan lawyer who held a particular dislike for Mary Queen of Scots, frequently petitioning for the execution of her and her allies. His status as an opinionated lawyer corresponds with the subject matter of the painting, however, his death in 1605 casts doubt on whether a commission would be produced 15+ years after his death to be placed in a house that was potentially no longer in his family. After his death the house was passed to his widowed sister, Anne Dallison, but then there is no further information on the ownership of the property until the arrival of the new resident Joseph Kempe. Kempe converted the property into a schoolhouse in the 1630s which places him in the correct time period. However, he appears to be of a very different humour to his predecessor as, upon his death in 1654, he bequeathed the property for the benefit of the poor of the parish, creating a charitable site (Hitchin-Kemp, 1900s). It may well be that the panels were inserted to act as teaching tools to his young charges and there is verbal mention of their presence whilst the property was still acting as a school. Unfortunately, it appears that, for the moment, there is no way of determining who commissioned or produced the painting.
Transcript of image text
1) Bottom left
a. “such apes we[e] have that will [expose] their fr[iends]
b. Twixt them and ha[vn?]s that they [?] have their ends”
Meaning: potentially linked to the ape and the cat by the fire. This fable tells of how the ape tricks the cat into retrieving chestnuts from the hot coals, only for the monkey to eat them all and offering the cat none of the reward. Therefore, this phrase could be saying that the apes ‘expose their friends’ by using them in order to ‘have their ends’ aka gain for themselves alone.
2) Top left (next to fireplace)
a. “two [lawyers?] thus their clients doe up hold,
b. Till they consume and their estates b[e] fold”
Meaning: this appears to be talking about the greed of lawyers. Lawyers will uphold their clients until they have ‘consume’d all of their money and cause the clients estate to fold and enter bankruptcy.
3) 2nd top left (in mirror writing)
a. “I[n] [fyre?] [write?] to kings [comment? Contend?] and [?]
b. The kings [friend?stand?] [?] commen[?]s they consume”
Meaning: yet again this phrase may relate to the fable suggested by the monkey and the cat by the fire. In 1586 the English poet Geoffrey Whitney further added to the fable with a political reasoning:
‘Which shewes, when as ambition fowle doth prick,
The hartes of kinges, then there is no remorce,
But oftentimes to aunswere theire desire,
The subjectes feele, both famine, sworde, and fire.’
when foul ambition strikes the hearts of kings there is no remorse as they will use their subjects to obtain what they want (Whitney, 1586).
4) 3rd top from left
a. “A[w]inter short dost they desire though without fire,
b. Then take up money for to pay at ladyday”
Meaning: there is the possibility that this is a passage that is commenting on the stingy nature of landowners. The subject of the piece is desiring a short winter in order to minimise the necessity for lighting fires and burning fuel. Then it appears that the ‘take up money’ could be regarding the traditional day on which contracts between landowners and tenant farmers would begin and end. This would be ‘ladyday’ or what was considered New Year’s Day (25th of March) prior to the switch to the Gregorian calendar.
5) 4th top from left (covered in part by 3rd)
a. “this table ----- our schoole, discourse our bread,
b. Wee mens[?] manners here oft times may read”
Meaning: this piece is referring to the individuals around the table and their role as judges of the actions of other men. That they thrive on discussion and comment on the manners of others either round the table or elsewhere in society.
6) 5th top from left (spoken by skull)
a. “[E]fill not thy sel[?] [?]”
i. Possibly “Efill not thy self too full”
Meaning: this phrase is being spoken by a skull which would appear to be memento mori, especially when considering the extinguished candle alighting its’ cranium.
7) Also from skull
a. “Though min[?]e thy [?] thinke on perenity,
b. [?]oud ex[?]s[?] if thou [?] [will?] [?] thee”
Meaning: yet another comment from the skull. This appears to be a comment on how either the viewer or the individuals in the painting must think on the lasting image or depiction of themselves.
8) 3rd bottom from left
a. COMPLETELY FADED
Meaning: whilst the text is completely faded apart from a few letters, there is the possibility that this character is conversing with the floating skull at the top of the painting. This is due to the eyeline of the individual presenting this text. All other members of the party are looking at the individuals they are talking to and as such it would be no great leap to assume the same in this case.
9) 2nd bottom from left
a. “yoke not thy daughter to a very A[ss]e,
b. Though large his pastures be and [?] of [?]”
Meaning: do not marry off your daughter to an unpleasant individual even if he is particularly rich.
10) Pair at bottom right
a. “------ must dye young men may die
b. Tis trew, yet ould carts oft last longer t[]he new”
Meaning: this appears to be a conversation about how the old are guaranteed to die but that the young have the potential to die but it is not a given certainty. The response is then an analogy, with ‘old carts’ lasting longer than new carts, which may well mean that even though someone is old they are may be more resilient than younger individuals. Meaning, don’t write off the elderly before they are completely done.
Date Made1594-1606 or c.1620
PeriodPost-medieval (1540-1901)
Medium and Materialsoak & paint,oil
Place MadeHitchin
Measurementswhole height 617mm whole width 1228mm support height 717mm support width 1353mm support thickness 7mm
Subject and Association DescriptionWas in room 14 at the Biggin.
SNAGGE, Robert (d.1605), of Hitchin and Letchworth, Herts. 2nd s. of Thomas Snagge of Letchworth by Elizabeth or Ellen, da. of one Calton of Saffron Walden, Essex; bro. of Thomas I. educ. M. Temple 1559. Lent reader, M. Temple 1580, bencher. J.p. Herts from c.1575, rem. 1587. MP for Lostwithiel (no known connection) 1571-2.
The sole executrix, his widowed sister Anne Dallison, was to have his manor house near Hitchin (The Biggin), and his land at Letchworth.
Named CollectionHitchin Museum
Object TypePainting
Object number1685
Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved