The Unlucky Attempt, a satirical print by Jabez Goldar of a sketch by John Collet, published in March 1774 by Sayer & Bennett. Depicts a sexual attempt on a serving girl, by her shorter, fatter master; an attempt which is about to be interrupted by his angry wife. The master has a copy of 'An Essay on Woman' in his pocket, itself a humorous work by John Wilkes and Thomas Potter.
Sayer and Bennet were leading publishers of satirical prints in the 1770s and 1780s, the period which included the American Revolution, and the loss of faith in the British political system which followed it, with John Bennett, a former apprentice of Robert Sawyer, taking on this side of the business, while Sawyer concentrated on maps and fine art prints.
John Collet began his career as an artist painting landscapes, but inspired by the success of artists such as Hogarth switched to satirical sketching, working with the engraver Jabez Goldar to produce plates which were sold to a variety of printmakers, including Sayer and Bennett.
