The Imports of Great Britain from France

This engraving by the French artist Louis-Phillippe Boitard satirises the prevailing taste in mid 18th century Britain for French fashions, luxuries and customs.

The scene depicted here is set on Custom's House Quay, with the Tower of London in the background. Ripley's Custom's House can be seen on the left and an array of docked ships nearby. A mass of French visitors, including chefs, dancing masters and fashionable characters, are shown disembarking a French boat and being greeted by a large crowd.

The cargos that are being unloaded include French cheeses and wines, including clearly labelled containers of camembert and claret. In the foreground, an unimpressed young boy holds his nose at the stench of the cheese but all around him middle-class consumers are enthusiastic about the imported produce which has just arrived.

Boitard's engraving was published during the Seven Years War (1757-1763) and dedicated to the Society of Antigallicans, which promoted British manufactures as a way of strengthening domestic economy and national patriotism. It was actually published during a period of blockade, when there was no legitimate trade with France.