British caricature
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"The pen of Swift and the graver of Hogarth in the early eighteenth century found in England conditions not very dissimilar to those which awaited Philipon and Honoré Daumier in Paris of the early nineteenth century—that is, a public which had come through a period of intensely active political existence to a complete and complex self-consciousness, and which enjoyed (just as in Paris La Caricature, when suppressed, found a speedy successor in Le Charivari) sufficient political freedom to render criticism a possibility. "--The Eighteenth Century in English Caricature (1904) by Selwyn Brinton |
![Fashionable Contrasts (1792) by James Gillray 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 [sic] to the Magnitude of the Duke's Foot. This was a devastating image aimed at the ridiculous sycophancy directed by the press towards Frederica Charlotte Ulrica, Duchess of York, and the supposed daintiness of her feet. The print showed 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.](/Image:Fashionable_contrasts_James_Gillray.jpg)
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 [sic] to the Magnitude of the Duke's Foot. This was a devastating image aimed at the ridiculous sycophancy directed by the press towards Frederica Charlotte Ulrica, Duchess of York, and the supposed daintiness of her feet. The print showed 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.
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The first book on caricature drawing to be published in England was Mary Darly's A Book of Caricaturas (c. 1762). In the early 18th century there was William Hogarth (1697 – 1764). The two greatest practitioners of the art of caricature in 18th-century Britain were Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827) and James Gillray (1757–1815). Rowlandson was more of an artist and his work took its inspiration mostly from the public at large. Gillray was more concerned with the vicious visual satirisation of political life. They were, however, great friends and caroused together in the pubs of London. See the Tate Gallery's exhibit James Gillray: The Art of Caricature
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William Hogarth (1697 – 1764)
William Hogarth (10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was a major English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from excellent realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called “modern moral subjects.” Much of his work, though at times vicious, poked fun at contemporary politics and customs.
Illustrations in such style are often referred to as Hogarthian. Hogarth’s first modern moral series A Harlot's Progress and A Rake's Progress, made him rich and famous.
Thomas Rowlandson (1756 – 1827)
Thomas Rowlandson (July 14, 1756 – April 22, 1827) was an English caricaturist, known for such designs as "An entertainment in Vauxhall Gardens". He also produced a body of erotic prints and woodcuts such as Pretty Little Games for Young Ladies and Gentlemen, Goodbye and Such Things Are, or A Peep Into Kensington Gardens, many of which would be considered explicit even today.
James Gillray (1757 - 1815)
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James Gillray, sometimes spelled Gilray (born August 13, 1757 in Chelsea; died June 1, 1815), was a English caricaturist and printmaker famous for his etched political and social satires, mainly published between 1792 and 1810.
See also
List of caricaturists
A William Austin (caricaturist) B Jim Bamber Max Beerbohm Steve Bell (cartoonist) George Bickham the Younger Henry William Bunbury George Butterworth (cartoonist) C Bryan Charnley John Collier (caricaturist) George Cruikshank D Mary and Matthew Darly G Francis Carruthers Gould H William Heath (artist) William Hogarth L John Leech (caricaturist) M Phil May William Mecham John Minnion N Richard Newton R Thomas Rowlandson S James Sayers Gerald Scarfe Ronald Searle T Martyn Turner W Henry Wigstead Charles Williams (caricaturist) George Moutard Woodward
See also
