William Pitt
(1759-1806), Prime MinisterRegency Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter associated with 174 portraits
Pitt dominated Parliament as Tory Prime Minister from 1783 to 1801 and 1804 to 1806. He restructured Britain's finances after the American Revolution and reformed the government of India in 1784. Pitt regarded the French Revolution as a foreign issue but began to worry that British radicals were in touch with French revolutionaries. After France declared war in 1793, he clamped down on domestic dissent with the first series of 'gagging acts'. In 1800 he arranged a Parliamentary union with Ireland but resigned in 1801 over George III's opposition to Catholics sitting in Parliament. Pitt's rivalry with Fox, his political and temperamental opposite, dominated Parliament for over twenty years.
The Death of the Earl of Chatham
by John Singleton Copley
oil on canvas, 1779-1781
NPG L146
by James Gillray
watercolour, 1789
NPG 135a
by Isaac Cruikshank
pencil, 1789-1790
NPG 2103b
by Anton Hickel
oil on canvas, 1793-1795
NPG 745
by Dominick Andrew Olivieri, after Joseph Nollekens
marble bust, 1823, based on a work of 1806
NPG 1240
by Peter Rouw
wax medallion, 1809
NPG 1747
by Unknown artist
plaster cast of seal, late 18th-early 19th century
NPG D7046
after Unknown artist
etching, late 18th century
NPG D16358
'Aside he turn'd for envy, yet with jealous leer malign, eyd them askance'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 12 December 1782
NPG D12302
by James Gillray, published by Elizabeth d'Achery
hand-coloured etching, published 11 September 1782
NPG D12315
by James Sayers, published by Thomas Cornell
etching, published 17 March 1785
NPG D12236
'Westminster school. or - Dr Busby settling accounts with Master-Billy and his playmates'
by James Gillray, published by James Ridgway
hand-coloured etching, published 4 February 1785
NPG D12993
'A new way to pay the National-Debt'
by James Gillray, published by William Holland
hand-coloured etching and engraving, published 21 April 1786
NPG D13052
'Anticipation, or the approaching fate of the French Commercial Treaty'
by James Gillray, published by William Holland
hand-coloured etching, published 1787?
NPG D12356
William Pitt ('The Minister endeavouring to eke out Dr Pr*ty***n's bisho-prick')
by James Gillray, published by R. Phillips
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published March 1787
NPG D12357
'The board of controul, or the blessings of a Scotch dictator'
by James Gillray, published by R. Phillips
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 20 March 1787
NPG D12359
by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 2 June 1787
NPG D12362
by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 2 June 1787
NPG D12363
Related People
- William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (father)
- John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham (brother)
- James Charles Pitt (brother)
- Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope (niece)
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.