This item is an authentic 1835 etching by George Cruikshank, entitled "The Root of all Evil." For context, in the winter of 1821, a British radical group known as the Cato Street Conspiracy planned a coup. Their plan, which did not succeed, was to assassinate all the members of the British cabinet and form a new government. The etching shows King George III looking on as a "radical" emerges menacingly from a censor. The etching's message: in order to eliminate radicalism, one must cut it off at the root.
According to the etching, it was printed by Thomas McLean, 26 Haymarket, London. The piece is professionally matted and framed with a simple black metallic frame. It could make an ideal, or perhaps sardonic, gift for a left-leaning friend. Unlike copies that have been colorized and can be found in museums, this is the original black and white. The lines are clear with no fading. There is evidence of long-ago water damage, in the upper right corner.