' Fashionable Contrasts - or the Duchess's little Shoe yeilding to the Magnitude of the Dukes Foot ' James Gillray ( English 1757-1815) Hand-coloured etching , circa 1792 . The National Portrait Gallery , London

.As well as being blatant in his observations , James Gillray could be incredibly subtle , and puncture vanity with a remarkably deft approach . The outstanding example of this is his print ' Fashionable Contrasts - or the Duchess's little Shoe yeilding to the Magnitude of the Dukes Foot ' This was a devastating image aimed at the sycophancy directed by the press towards Frederica Charlotte Ulrica , Duchess of York , and the supposed daintiness of her feet . The print shows only the feet and ankles of the Duke and Duchess of York , in an obviously copulatory position , with the Duke's feet enlarged and the Duchess's feet drawn very small . This print silenced forever the sycophancy of the press regarding the union of the Duke and Duchess. ....The print was originally published by Hanna Humphrey on the 24th January , 1792 .