Phrenological Illustrations: Drawing

Cruikshank published a satirical view of the quasi-science phrenology called Phrenological Illustrations or an Artist's view of the Craniological System of Doctor's Gall and Spurzheim in 1826. Phrenology sought to determine a person's characteristics by analysing the shape and size of the head.

In the book there is a page in which the central illustration is entitled Drawing and it shows a man drawing a cart past two shop-fronts. One has a sign Mons Curedent Dentist signalled by the rows of teeth in the window and the cameo scene of the dentist extracting a tooth in the dim interior. The upper storey on the left with window boxes is called Drawing Academy. On the right is a public house selling Whitbreads Entire and again figures can be seen through the window, a man drawing a cork and a woman drawing beer.

Cruikshank is playing upon the word drawing indicating the different ways in which the same verb can be used.