James Gillray (1757-1815)

James Gillray, known for his biting, ironic style, is considered to be the first professional caricaturist in Britain. Like Rowlandson, Gillray was a critical figure in the establishment of the Great Age of English Caricature.

Gillray apprenticed as a letter engraver and worked as a book illustrator. He created his first caricature in 1769 depicting Lord North, Prime Minister of Great Britain. Gillray became a full time caricaturist in 1780. In 1787 he began a long-term relationship with the publishing house of H. Humphrey where he resided as chief caricaturist for the remainder of his career.

Gillray created over fifteen hundred works. His favorite subjects included the royal family, the court, the nobility and anyone else of stature. Gillray's style is distinctly recognizable. His work displays a fierce intensity that attacks and mocks his subjects. Gillray's work has been characterized as displaying a "savage genius."

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The Gout, 1799

Here, Gillray powerfully illustrates the pain and suffering caused by gout, a common ailment of his time.

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Metallic Tractors, 1801

In 1796 Elisha Perkins, a physician from Connecticut, patented the metallic tractors shown in this print. He claimed the tractors could cure disease through electric force. Gillray's skepticism of this treatment is clear in this satire.

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The Cow-Pock, or, the Wonderful Effects of the New Inoculation!, 1802

Continued evidence of Gillray's skepticism toward the medical profession is displayed in this print as he mocks Edward Jenner's use of cowpox to vaccinate against smallpox. Gillray's human subjects turn into cows immediately after inoculation. But this time Gillray's skepticism was misplaced; Jenner's discovery was one of the first truly effective treatments developed by emerging scientific medicine.

James Gillray (1757-1815)