04/09/2001
by James Bell

Whether it be members of King George III’s extended British royal family, politicians or public figures, few escaped unscathed from the harsh satirical wit of James Gillray (1756-1815). The exhibition at Tate Britain, London which ran until the 2^nd of September 2001, documented Gillray’s social commentary in the late 18^th Century, and displayed over 500 prints from the artist’s extensive output. Gillray delighted in mocking contemporary life in London, and he found a vast resource in the ineptitude of certain political figures, such as his portrayal of William Pitt, the British Prime Minister in The Giant Factotum amusing himself. Gillray’s popularity was so potent, that to be worthy of his attention was seen more as a compliment than as a criticism.

Single examples of Gillray’s etchings can fetch anywhere in the region of $ 450-2,920 (€ 480-3,180), depending upon subject matter, condition and rarity. The Orangerie or The Dutch Cupid reposing fetched $ 450 (€ 480) at Bonhams and Brooks in March 2001, whilst at Sotheby’s in March 1996, The grand procession of Napoleon made $ 880 (€ 950) against an estimate of $ 880-1,170 (€ 950-1,270). Phillips, London recently held a sale devoted exclusively to Gillray’s work, including a number of original etchings from the Draper Hill Collection. Hill began collecting Gillray’s work on a visit to London in 1960 when the artist's prints and drawings were still cheap - costing a few shillings each - and went on to write a definitive biography ("Mr Gillray the Caricaturist," 1965) and edited two collections of his work ("Fashionable Contrasts," 1966, and "The Satirical Etchings of James Gillray," 1976). He also helped organize an exhibition in London in 1967 that launched the revival of Gillray’s reputation.

The Phillips Draper Hill sale was a success and included some remarkable prices. A pair of etchings, Voluptuary, under the horrors of digestion; Temperance, enjoying a frugal meal, realised $ 6,700 (€ 7,320) against an estimate of $ 1,460- 2,190 (€ 2,300-2,390). This lot parodied the general perception of King George the III and Queen Charlotte as tight-fisted misers, whilst the flamboyant Prince of Wales was depicted in the second print in a post meal stoop. In a broader context the images represent criticism of the Monarchy with the then Prince of Wales, a regular subject of public ridicule due to his scandalous personal life. Later in the sale was one of Gillray’s most famous prints Fashionable Contrasts; or The Duchess’s little shoe yielding to the magnitude of the Duke’s Foot, which shows the feet of Frederick Duke of York, the second son of King George III, placed on top of the delicate feet of his bride to be Frederica, the daughter of the King of Prussia. The devastatingly simple print was Gillray’s response to press coverage in which Frederica was portrayed as the saintly virgin, as opposed to the Duke of York as the London dandy. At the Phillips auction in June, an example of this print fetched $ 6,700 (€ 7,320) against a pre-sale estimate of $ 2,190-3,640 (€ 2,400-4,000).

His prints are still surprisingly accessible as large numbers were produced during the artist’s lifetime, published by Hannah Humphries with whom he lived with from 1791 until 1815, when he died after a long struggle with mental illness. However from the mid 19^th to the early 20^th century, Gillray's original printing plates were often re-used, and new editions of his prints were published to satisfy the continued demand for his work. These later re-strikes appear on the market today, and it is important to seek the advice of a specialist in order to identify them from "period" (18^th and early 19^th century) impressions.

Gillray was well respected in France, Spain and the Low Countries in his lifetime. The artist Goya y Lucientes was a collector and the Tate exhibition drew parallels between Gillray’s A Vestal of – 93, trying on the Cestus of Venus, and Goya’s etching with aquatint Hasta La Muerta. His political prints have always been eagerly collected, appealing to Winston Churchill, along with leading figures in today’s contemporary British political establishment such as Kenneth Clarke (a possible contender for future British Prime Minister) and Ian Hislop, the editor of The Spectator (a leading political journal in the UK). His reputation has been reassessed favourably over the past few years, and has led to a new appreciation of his work and a significant increase in his market.