Metaphor Collection

Winston Churchill making his famous V for Victory sign, 1942. A typical gesture of defiance from Britains wartime Prime Minister. (Colorised black and white print)

Gin Lane, 1751. Artist: William Hogarth
Gin Lane, 1751.The scene is the St Giles slums. A child falls to its death from the arms of its drunk mother who sits with ulcerated legs. A skeletal figure holds an empty glass

The Jousts of St Inglevert, France, 1470-1475, (c1900-1920). Artist: Master of the Harley Froissart
The Jousts of St Inglevere, (c1900-1920). Jousting scene with ornate tents: knights in armour with lances parade across the field, while the audience looks

Beer Street, 1751. Artist: William Hogarth
Beer Street, 1751. Working people enjoying a tankard of beer outside the Barley Mow public house. The figures include two women with baskets of fish and a butcher holding a joint of meat

The Man with the Load of Mischief, 18th century, (1943). Creator: William Hogarth
The Man with the Load of Mischief, 18th century, (1943). A man with a chain and padlock round his neck, carrying a " load of mischief" : a woman holding a glass of gin rides on his back

Sadness, January 21, 1800. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
Sadness, January 21, 1800

Scotland for Ever; the charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo, 18 June 1815
Scotland for Ever ; the charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo, 18 June 1815. The attack by the Royal Scots Greys cavalry regiment on the French 45th infantry was immortalised in this famous painting

Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle, 1628 (early 20th century). Armand Jean Duplessis, Duc de Richelieu (1585-1642), French prelate and statesman

Daniel in the Lions Den, 1872, (1917). Artist: Briton Riviere
Daniel in the Lions Den, 1872, (1917). Painting held at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. From Bibbys Annual 1917, [J. Bibby & Sons, Liverpool, 1917]

Jigsaw puzzle of golfers on Prestwick golf course, Scotland, c1914. Handcut wooden puzzle of Michael Browns picture used in the Life Association of Scotland calendar

The Last of England, 1855. Artist: Ford Madox Brown
The Last of England, 1855. From World Famous Paintings edited by J Grieg Pirie [W.& G. Foyle Ltd. London, 1938]

The Battle Between Cribb and Molineaux, September 28, 1811, October 3, 1811. Cribbs second was John Gully and his bottle-holder Joe Ward

I Make Myself Known to My Aunt. Etching from David Copperfield, c1840-1880, (1923). Artist: Hablot Knight Browne
I Make Myself Known to My Aunt. Etching from David Copperfield, 1840-1880, (1923). David Copperfield is the eighth novel by Charles Dickens

Fencing Match Between Mademoiselle La Chevaliere D Eon De Beaumont and Monsieur De Saint George, 1787. After Charles Jean Robineau. From Connoisseur Extra No. 5 - Old Sporting Prints by Ralph Nevill

Dandelion Clock & Prayer
A dandelion clock is used as a metaphor for measuring your life by loss and not by gain

Dick Dock, or the Lobster and Crab, 1806. Scene outside an alehouse by the River Thames. A Greenwich Pensioner with a wooden leg takes the hand of a soldier

Gin Lane, February 1, 1751. Creator: William Hogarth
Gin Lane, February 1, 1751

Measuring Substitutes for the Army of Reserve, 1815. 1815. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
Measuring Substitutes for the Army of Reserve, 1815

Springtime, 1873. Creator: Pierre Auguste Cot
Springtime, 1873

The Inchcape Rock, 1908, (c1930). Creator: Peter Graham
The Inchcape Rock, 1908, (c1930). Illustration to a ballad of the same name by Robert Southey, published in 1802. A warning bell for shipping had been installed on a dangerous sandstone reef off

Toots Thielemans, Belgian jazz musician, Ronnie Scotts, London, 1978. Artist: Brian O Connor
Toots Thielemans, Belgian jazz musician, Ronnie Scott s, London, 1978. He is known for his guitar and harmonica playing, as well as his whistling skills

Ruins of the Temple of Kom Ombo, Egypt, c1845. Artist: David Roberts
Ruins of the Temple of Kom Ombo, Egypt, c1845. From Egypt and Nubia, Vol 1, by David Roberts

Couple in love, c1900-1919(?). Postcard

The Dodge City Peace Commission, 1883 (1954). Standing: WH Harris, Luke Short, Bat Masterson; sitting: Charles E Bassett, Wyatt Earp, Frank McClain and Neal Brown

Behold the Reward of those Who Meddle in Other Peoples Affairs, c1900-1950
Behold the Reward of those Who Meddle in Other Peoples Affairs. c1900-1950

Musicians, 1530s-1540s. Old Master
Musicians, 1530s-1540s. Master of the Female Half-Lengths (First half of 16th cen.). Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg

The Cradle, 1873. Artist: Berthe Morisot
The Cradle, 1873. Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Nichiren Calming the Storm, 19th century. Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Nichiren Calming the Storm, 19th century

On the Alert - Lioness and Cubs, c1878-1910, (1912). Artist: John MacAllan Swan
On the Alert - Lioness and Cubs, c1878-1910, (1912). A colour print from Famous Paintings, with an introduction by Gilbert Chesterton, Cassell and Company, (London, New York, Toronto, 1912)

Charles George Gordon ( Chinese Gordon )
Charles George Gordon (1833-85) English soldier, called Chinese Gordon. His death at Khartoum when city fell to the troops of the Mahdi, 26 January 1885. After painting by G.W. Joy

Telescopic Philanthropy, 1865. Artist: John Tenniel
Telescopic Philanthropy, 1865. Little London Arab. Please M, Ain t We Black Enough to be Cared For? (With Mr. Punchs Compliments to Lord Stanley.) In his novel, Bleak House

Silhouette, Sending Coals to Newcastle
Sending Coals to Newcastle -- silhouette showing a mining landscape and three men carrying sacks of coal up a slope

Cartoon, Hot Pies! (Disraeli and Foreign Affairs)
Cartoon, Hot Pies! Disraeli (Conservative Prime Minister), Salisbury (Foreign Secretary) and two others sit on low stools like schoolboys

The Cape Town Highlanders, 1900. Creator: JE Bruton
The Cape Town Highlanders, 1900. The Cape Town Highlanders infantry regiment of the South African Army was mobilised for active duty during the Second Boer War

Portrait of Samuel Sewall, in periwig and long coat, c1700-1720, (1937). Creator: Unknown
Portrait of Samuel Sewall, Governor and Judge of Massachusetts Colony, showing the periwig and long coat of the reign of James II, c1700-1720, (1937)

The Nile Flood Had Retired, c1930. Artist: W Heath Robinson
The Nile Flood Had Retired, c1930. An illustration from The Marsh Kings Daughter by Hans Christian Andersen. From Hans Andersens Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen

Crossing the Sands, Ulverston, c1834. Artist: David Cox the elder
Crossing the Sands, Ulverston, c1834. Painting held at the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham. From A Catalogue of the Pictures

The Climax, c1893. Artist: Aubrey Beardsley
The Climax, c1893. An illustration for Oscar Wildes Salome. From The Studio Volume 1 [London Offices of the Studio, London, 1893]

Approach to Christmas, c19th century. Artist: George Hunt
Approach to Christmas, c19th century. After James Pollard (1792-1867). From Connoisseur Extra No. 5 - Old Sporting Prints by Ralph Nevill. [The Connoisseur Magazine, London, 1908]

The Battle of Towton, 29 March 1461, (c1920). The Battle of Towton (1461) took place near Towton in Yorkshire and was one of the bloodiest ever battles fought in Britain

A Rakes Progress - 2: The Levee, 1733. Artist: William Hogarth
A Rakes Progress - 2: The Levee, 1733. Tom holds a morning reception at his new palatial town lodgings. Vistors offer their services: a jockey, a dancing-master (with violin)

Performing bear in a Russian village, 1877. A print from The Illustrated London News, (19 May 1877). Hand-coloured later

Arrival in Saigon of Paul Beau, Governor General of Indochina, 1902. Beaus term as Governor-General of French Indochina lasted from 1902 until 1907

The drunken Hercules, House of the Stags, Herculaneum, Italy

Labor Ipse Voluptas, 1869. Artist: Charles Samuel Keene
Labor Ipse Voluptas, 1869. The perils of smoking are highlighted in this cartoon. Tobacco affects how a man looks, and his energy levels. From Punch, or the London Charivari, May 22, 1869

DELAUNAY, Robert. Carousel with Pigs
DELAUNAY, Robert (1885-1941). Carousel with Pigs. 1922. Orphism. Oil on canvas. FRANCE. Ό E-DE-FRANCE. Paris. Centre national d art et de culture Georges Pompidou

The Bennie Railplane, 1930, (1933). Creator: Unknown
The Bennie Railplane, 1930, (1933). The George Bennie railplane is an astounding device by which existing railways could be speeded up for passenger traffic

Goodbye London, Evening News poster, 1980. Billboard advertising the final edition of the Evening News newspaper, Friday 31 October 1980

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

Metaphor: Unveiling the Hidden Meanings of Life Throughout history, iconic moments have been captured in art and photographs, each telling a story beyond what meets the eye. These glimpses into the past serve as metaphors for deeper truths, resonating with our collective human experience. In 1942, Winston Churchill's V for Victory sign became a metaphor for resilience and hope during World War II. His gesture symbolized unity and determination in the face of adversity, inspiring millions to stand strong. Gin Lane by William Hogarth in 1751 depicted a grim scene of societal decay fueled by alcoholism. This powerful artwork served as a metaphor for moral decline and warned against the dangers of excess. The charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo on June 18, 1815, immortalized through art, embodied bravery and sacrifice. It stands as a metaphor for unwavering loyalty to one's country and comrades-in-arms. Daniel in the Lions Den painted by Briton Riviere in 1872 showcased courage amidst danger. This biblical tale serves as a metaphor for facing fears head-on while maintaining faith even when surrounded by adversity. A jigsaw puzzle featuring golfers on Prestwick golf course from around 1914 represents perseverance and precision. The intricate pieces coming together mirror life's challenges that require patience and strategic thinking to solve. The fencing match between Mademoiselle La Chevaliere D Eon De Beaumont and Monsieur De Saint George captured by Victor Marie Picot embodies equality breaking barriers through sport—a powerful metaphor reflecting social progress. Etchings from David Copperfield illustrated how self-expression can bridge gaps between generations—a poignant metaphor reminding us that understanding family dynamics is essential to personal growth. Ford Madox Brown's painting "The Last of England" from 1855 depicts emigration during an era marked by economic hardship—an allegory representing hope amidst despair; leaving behind old lives for new beginnings.