James Sayers
(1748-1823), ArtistSitter in 1 portrait
Artist associated with 192 portraits
An attorney of independent means he quit his profession in order to focus on political caricature. His allegiance was with the Tory William Pitt and he directed his satire against Charles James Fox and his Coalition Ministry. Underlining the power of the political print in the late eighteenth century, Fox is said to have declared that Sayers' caricatures had done him 'more mischief than the debates in Parliament or the works of the Press'. Sayers' strengths lay in his gift for portraiture and characterisation and his prints were evidently a source of reference for James Gillray and others. The National Portrait Gallery collection includes an album of etchings selected for a friend by Sayers himself in 1818.
Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 17 June 1782
NPG D15082
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 14 May 1782
NPG D15423
Robert Craggs Nugent, Earl Nugent
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 14 May 1782
NPG D15485
Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 14 May 1782
NPG D15672
Robert Craggs Nugent, Earl Nugent
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 14 May 1782
NPG D18635
Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 17 June 1782
NPG D16223
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 17 June 1782
NPG D16520
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
coloured etching, 1782
NPG D16521
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 17 July 1782
NPG D16764
by James Sayers, published by Charles Bretherton
etching, published 3 July 1782
NPG D20952
'A coalition medal struck in brass' (Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford; Charles James Fox)
by James Sayers, published by Edward Hedges
etching and stipple engraving, published 3 March 1783
NPG D9540
by James Sayers, published by H. Bretherton
etching and aquatint, published 19 July 1783
NPG D9548
'Qui color ater erat nunc est contrarius atro'
by James Sayers, published by Edward Hedges
etching, published 17 March 1783
NPG D9565
by James Sayers, published by Thomas Cornell
etching, published 5 May 1783
NPG D9567
'The mask' (Charles James Fox; Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford)
by James Sayers, published by H. Bretherton
etching and stipple engraving, published 21 May 1783
NPG D9570
Charles James Fox ('A transfer of East India stock')
by James Sayers, published by Thomas Cornell
etching, published 25 November 1783
NPG D9747
'Carlo Khan's triumphal entry into Leadenhall Street'
by James Sayers, published by Thomas Cornell
etching, published 5 December 1783
NPG D9748
'Razor's levée, or ye heads of a new Whig ad...........n on a broad bottom'
by James Sayers, published by Thomas Cornell
etching, published 21 April 1783
NPG D12233
'Carlo Khan's triumphal entry into Leadenhall Street'
by James Sayers, published by Thomas Cornell
etching, published 5 December 1783
NPG D16765
David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield
by James Sayers, published by James Bretherton
etching, published 14 July 1784
NPG D45917
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