Gillray Caricatures: introduction

James Gillray was the leading satirist of the regency producing numerous biting and funny caricatures on politics, royalty and social life. The National Portrait Gallery owns copies of over ninety percent of Gillray’s output; over 846 prints bound in eight volumes. The prints are in excellent condition and the hand-colouring retains its original vibrancy. Among them are also some rare Gillray Drawings, including a pencil and watercolour portrait of the artist (c.1810) and several annotated preparatory ink and pencil studies for Connoisseurs Examine a Collection of George Morland's (1807).