George Cruikshank (1792-1878)
George Cruikshank, one of the prominent caricaturists of the Regency, was born into a family of artists. His father (Isaac), brother (Robert) and son (George Jr.) all created works of graphic satire. An heir to Gillray's artistic reign, Cruikshank succeeded Gillray at the publishing house of H. Humphrey. Cruikshank's style unmistakably shows the Gillray influence.
Cruikshank began creating works as a child. His first work was published in 1806. By 1810 he was fully established as a caricaturist. By the end of the 1840s he had become a committed teetotaler and themes of temperance dominated his work until his death.
The highpoint of Cruikshank's work in graphic satire was the 1810s through the 1820s, the early years of the Regency. Cruikshank's caricatures ridiculed the excesses of the period and emphasized costume and manners. He also displayed the cutting humor so common in Gillray's work.
Amidst the chaos of her home a grotesque woman is fixated on a conjuring a cure for her corns. Cruikshank is commenting on the pitfalls of self-medication.
In the early nineteenth century cholera epidemics were common. The disease struck its victims rapidly and spread fear amongst the populace. Medical science was ineffective against cholera until John Snow's discovery of its contagion through contaminated water in 1848. Cruikshank comments on the corruption and uselessness of public health officials in this satire.
The following three prints comprise a set that illustrates the discomforts and pain of illness. Note the use of the little demons in all the illustrations to explain the cause of pain and illness.
