Bribe Collection

The Election II: Canvassing for Votes, 1754-55 (oil on canvas)
SJS1997 The Election II: Canvassing for Votes, 1754-55 (oil on canvas) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); 101.5x127 cm; Courtesy of the Trustees of Sir John Soanes Museum

Portrait of Johann von Rückingen (?) (recto), 1487. Creator: Wolfgang Beurer
Portrait of Johann von Ruckingen (?) (recto), 1487.

Illustration depicting an escaped convict bribing a child to feed him, 1893 (engraving)
5616293 Illustration depicting an escaped convict bribing a child to feed him, 1893 (engraving); Universal History Archive/UIG

An escaped convict bribing a child
5308461 An escaped convict bribing a child.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting an escaped convict bribing a child to bring him food in secret. Dated 19th century)

Caricature of the English betrayal by the French in Paris, 1762. John Russell
FLO4717884 Caricature of the English betrayal by the French in Paris, 1762. John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford being paid with Crumbs of Comfort while a English man picks his pocket

Cartoon of the treacherous Lord Bute receiving a reward while the old patriot Englishman is taxed until he is bent
FLO4717869 Cartoon of the treacherous Lord Bute receiving a reward while the old patriot Englishman is taxed until he is bent double

Man Chooses a Young Woman, 1600. Creator: Jacob Matham
Man Chooses a Young Woman, 1600

The Triumph of Boodle, from Boodle, n.d. Creator: Joseph Keppler
The Triumph of Boodle, from Boodle, n.d

Death snatches the staff of office from the Judge as he receives a bribe.. Handcolored engraving by Chretien de Mechel from Hans Holbein's The Triumph of Death

Henry Hudson offers liquor to the Indians in 1609 (litho)
KW353631 Henry Hudson offers liquor to the Indians in 1609 (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Henry Hudson (d.c.1611); English sea explorer

Buying off Assur-bani-pal with gifts, illustration from Hutchinsons History of the Nations, c. 1910-15 (litho)
STC357967 Buying off Assur-bani-pal with gifts, illustration from Hutchinsons History of the Nations, c.1910-15 (litho) by Dudley

Ms H V-5 Bribing a magistrate, from Book of Privileges (vellum)
XIR226194 Ms H V-5 Bribing a magistrate, from Book of Privileges (vellum) by Italian School, (15th century); Biblioteca Queriniana, Brescia, Italy

Electioneering, 1909
3742817 Electioneering, 1909 by English School, (20th century); (add.info.: An English anti-suffrage movement postcard showing a fancy lady " buying" votes from poor women)

Cartoon commenting on the dirtiness of the Thames and the investigations into bribery
5309059 Cartoon commenting on the dirtiness of the Thames and the investigations into bribery during elections at Great Yarmouth, Reigate and Lancaster by Tenniel

The King and the Forester (colour litho)
1037542 The King and the Forester (colour litho) by Ralston, William (1848-1911) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The King and the Forester)

Andrew Marvel (engraving)
818699 Andrew Marvel (engraving) by Landseer, Charles (1799-1879) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Temptation of Andrew Marvel)

William Meredith, Manchester United (pen & ink and w / c on paper)
NFM315272 William Meredith, Manchester United (pen & ink and w/c on paper) by Rip, (fl.1907-09); National Football Museum, Manchester

Ms Lat 3893 Fol. 98 Parents offering a bishop money to take their son into the abbey
BNP159942 Ms Lat 3893 Fol.98 Parents offering a bishop money to take their son into the abbey, 1314 (vellum) by French School, (14th century); Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris

The Ill-matched Lovers (oil on panel)
697865 The Ill-matched Lovers (oil on panel) by Oostsanen, Jacob Cornelisz van (1470-1533) (studio of); 49.5x35.9 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Cartoon, Lord Lytton and the drama critic
Cartoon, Lord Lytton (Robert Bulwer-Lytton) insinuates that if you want the good word of a dramatic critic, you should first give him a good supper! 1884

Swein demanding ransom, illustration from The Church of England
STC393314 Swein demanding ransom, illustration from The Church of England: A History for the People by H.D.M. Spence-Jones, pub

Italian Comedy, c. 1920 (stencil on paper)
STC91325 Italian Comedy, c.1920 (stencil on paper) by Martin, Charles (1848-1934); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; French, out of copyright

Skeleton of Death showing the hourglass to an Advocate, even as he is being paid off by a Judge in front of a wretched client

The Election II: Canvassing for Votes, illustration from Hogarth Restored
STC451172 The Election II: Canvassing for Votes, illustration from Hogarth Restored: The Whole Works of the celebrated William Hogarth, re-engraved by Thomas Cook, pub

Electioneering, 1909
3742842 Electioneering, 1909 by English School, (20th century); (add.info.: An English anti-suffrage movement postcard showing a fancy lady " buying" votes from poor women)

Aeneas and the Cumaean Sibyl presenting the Golden Bough to Charon (oil on canvas)
3433209 Aeneas and the Cumaean Sibyl presenting the Golden Bough to Charon (oil on canvas) by Testa, Pietro (Il Lucchesino) (1611-50)

The First Day of Term - or the Devil among Lawyers (pencil & w / c on paper)
CH401387 The First Day of Term - or the Devil among Lawyers (pencil & w/c on paper) by Dighton, Robert (1752-1814); 34.8x25.7 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The lawyers are met)

In order to influence the GDR frontier guards, to distract them from service or to bribe them various objects are
3638432 In order to influence the GDR frontier guards, to distract them from service or to bribe them various objects are thrown over the border from the West Berlin side

Comedie Italienne, from Sports & Divertissements, pub. 1914 (pochoir print)
3282458 Comedie Italienne, from Sports & Divertissements, pub. 1914 (pochoir print) by Martin, Charles (1848-1934); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; French, out of copyright

Scipios appeal to the people (litho)
STC416048 Scipios appeal to the people (litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Scipio Africanus (235-183 BC)

A Justass of the Peace Returning from Sessions (w / c on paper)
WSG91176 A Justass of the Peace Returning from Sessions (w/c on paper) by Bunbury, Henry William (1750-1811); 50.8x42 cm; Private Collection; Wingfield Sporting Gallery, London, UK; English

The Bribe (engraving)
1609534 The Bribe (engraving) by Pickersgill, Frederick Richard (1820-1900); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Bribe. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 8 May 1858)

The Farmers Daughter (chromolitho)
1051316 The Farmers Daughter (chromolitho) by Ralston, William (1848-1911) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Farmers Daughter)

Collecting Dane Gelt, from the book The Church of England
KW293330 Collecting Dane Gelt, from the book The Church of England: A History for the People, published c.1910 (litho) by Zier, Francois Edouard (1856-1924) (after); Private Collection; French

Suitor bribing a child to help him (colour litho)
3096445 Suitor bribing a child to help him (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Suitor bribing a child to help him)

A Trip to Pondoland undertaken by British Officers while living in a South African Camp (engraving)
1063433 A Trip to Pondoland undertaken by British Officers while living in a South African Camp (engraving) by English School

The Judge. Creator: Hans Holbein the Younger
The Judge

A Brace of Public Guardians, July 10, 1800. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
A Brace of Public Guardians, July 10, 1800

The Ceremony of Investiture of My Ld Smth with the Order of Cabbage-hood, ca
The Ceremony of Investiture of My L**d S**m**th with the Order of Cabbage-hood, ca. June 1819

Manius Curius Dentatus Refusing the Presents of the Samnite Ambassadors, 1732-92

Killing with Kindness, October 1, 1799. October 1, 1799. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
Killing with Kindness, October 1, 1799

Away with her, and waft her hence ---, c1820. Creator: Unknown
Away with her, and waft her hence ---, c1820. Satirical cartoon with a quote from Shakespeares " Henry VI, Part III", showing Queen Caroline being offered a bribe of £ 50

Curius Dentatus refusing the Magnificent Gift offered by the Samnites, 1852. Artist: John Leech
Curius Dentatus refusing the Magnificent Gift offered by the Samnites, 1852. From The Comic History of Rome, by Gilbert A A Beckett, illustrated by John Leech. [Bradbury, Agnew & Co, London, 1852]

The Prison Window, 1857, (1917). Artist: John Phillip
The Prison Window, 1857, (1917). Painting held at the Tate, London. From Bibbys Annual 1917, [J. Bibby & Sons, Liverpool, 1917]

The Election: Canvassing for Votes, 1754-1755, (c1915). Artist: William Hogarth
The Election: Canvassing for Votes, 1754-1755, (c1915). The painting held by Sir John Soanes Museum, London. From International Art: Past and Present by Alfred Yockney

King James II receiving the French bribe, c1902. From Cassells Illustrated History of England, volume III (c1902)

POLITICAL CORRUPTION, 1894. An 1894 cartoon by Louis Dalrymple equating pay-offs made to the New York police with corporate contributions to senators

Pyrrhus Gaius Fabricius Luscinus elephant Roman consul Gaius Fabritius Luscinus visits
Pyrrhus shows Gaius Fabricius Luscinus an elephant, The Roman consul Gaius Fabritius Luscinus visits King Pyrrhus for peace negotiations, with whom the Romans were at war

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"Bribe: A Historical Perspective on the Corrupting Power of Influence" In the realm of politics, bribery has long been an insidious force capable of swaying elections and distorting justice. From centuries-old canvassing for votes to modern-day scandals, the allure of bribes continues to plague societies worldwide. The Election II: Canvassing for Votes, 1754-55 (oil on canvas) depicts a scene where candidates shamelessly offer incentives to secure support, highlighting how this practice has deep roots in our political history. Death snatches the staff of office from unsuspecting hands in another artwork, reminding us that even those entrusted with power can succumb to its corrupting influence. Henry Hudson's offering of liquor to Native Americans in 1609 (litho) reveals how early colonizers exploited cultural differences through bribery as a means to further their own agendas. Similarly, Royal Sharpening Service for Sharpening English Daggers, 1794 (hand-coloured etching) showcases how bribes were used not only as political tools but also as methods for gaining military advantage. Even ancient civilizations fell prey to bribery's allure; Buying off Assur-bani-pal with gifts illustrates this from Hutchinsons History of the Nations (c. 1910-15 litho). Meanwhile, Ms H V-5 Bribing a magistrate from Book of Privileges (vellum) exposes how corruption seeped into legal systems throughout history. Artworks like The Election IV Chairing the Member, 1754-55 (oil on canvas), Electioneering cartoon from 1909 or Cartoon commenting on Thames' dirtiness and investigations into bribery demonstrate society's awareness and condemnation towards such practices. However, it is essential not just to focus solely on historical instances; we must acknowledge that bribery persists today. The King and the Forester (colour litho) serves as a reminder that even those in positions of authority can be susceptible to the allure of bribes.