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William Pitt

(1759-1806), Prime Minister

Regency 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.

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'The royal bull-fight', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12548

'The royal bull-fight'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 21 November 1795
NPG D12548

'Retribution; - tarring and feathering; - or - the patriots revenge', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12549

'Retribution; - tarring and feathering; - or - the patriots revenge'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 26 November 1795
NPG D12549

'The Crown and Anchor libel, burnt by the public hangman', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12550

'The Crown and Anchor libel, burnt by the public hangman'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 28 November 1795
NPG D12550

'The death of the Great Wolf', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12551

'The death of the Great Wolf'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and engraving, published 17 December 1795
NPG D12551

'Substitutes for bread; - or - right honorables, saving the loaves, and dividing the fishes', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12552

'Substitutes for bread; - or - right honorables, saving the loaves, and dividing the fishes'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 24 December 1795
NPG D12552

'Promis'd horrors of the French invasion, - or - forcible reasons for negotiating a regicide peace', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12579

'Promis'd horrors of the French invasion, - or - forcible reasons for negotiating a regicide peace'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 20 October 1796
NPG D12579

The Royal Cock=Pitt (William Pitt; Charles James Fox), by and published by Robert Dighton - NPG D47138

The Royal Cock=Pitt (William Pitt; Charles James Fox)

by and published by Robert Dighton
hand-coloured etching, published 20 December 1796
NPG D47138

The Budget or John Bull Frightned [Frightened] out of his wits, by Isaac Cruikshank, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D47470

The Budget or John Bull Frightned [Frightened] out of his wits

by Isaac Cruikshank, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 20 November 1796
NPG D47470

William Pitt, after William Miller - NPG D5530

William Pitt

after William Miller
line engraving, circa 1796-1806
NPG D5530

'The wine duty; - or - the triumph of Bacchus & Silenus; with John Bulls remonstrance', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12567

'The wine duty; - or - the triumph of Bacchus & Silenus; with John Bulls remonstrance'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 20 April 1796
NPG D12567

'The dissolution; or - the alchymist producing an aetherial representation', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12575

'The dissolution; or - the alchymist producing an aetherial representation'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 21 May 1796
NPG D12575

'Opening of the budget; - or - John Bull giving his breeches to save his bacon', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12583

'Opening of the budget; - or - John Bull giving his breeches to save his bacon'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 17 November 1796
NPG D12583

'Begging no robbery; - ie - voluntary contribution; - or - John Bull escaping a forced loan', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12588

'Begging no robbery; - ie - voluntary contribution; - or - John Bull escaping a forced loan'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 10 December 1796
NPG D12588

William Pitt, by John Murphy, published by  Gaetano Testolini, after  William Miller - NPG D40242

William Pitt

by John Murphy, published by Gaetano Testolini, after William Miller
mezzotint, published 1 May 1797
NPG D40242

William Pitt ('Billy Caught Naping [napping]), by and published by Robert Dighton - NPG D47140

William Pitt ('Billy Caught Naping [napping])

by and published by Robert Dighton
hand-coloured etching, published 24 April 1797
NPG D47140

'The giant factotem amusing himself', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12593

'The giant factotem amusing himself'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 21 January 1797
NPG D12593

'End of the Irish invasion; - or - the destruction of the French armada', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12592

'End of the Irish invasion; - or - the destruction of the French armada'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 20 January 1797
NPG D12592

'The Daily-Advertiser' (William Pitt; Charles James Fox), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12594

'The Daily-Advertiser' (William Pitt; Charles James Fox)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 23 January 1797
NPG D12594

'The table's turn'd' (Charles James Fox; William Pitt), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12602

'The table's turn'd' (Charles James Fox; William Pitt)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 4 March 1797
NPG D12602

'Midas, transmuting all, into paper', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12603

'Midas, transmuting all, into paper'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 9 March 1797
NPG D12603

'The bridal night', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12613

'The bridal night'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, engraving and aquatint, published 18 May 1797
NPG D12613

'Parliamentary-reform, - or - opposition-rats, leaving the house they had undermined', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12614

'Parliamentary-reform, - or - opposition-rats, leaving the house they had undermined'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 28 May 1797
NPG D12614

William Pitt ('Political-ravishment, or the old lady of Treadneedle-Street in danger!'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13029

William Pitt ('Political-ravishment, or the old lady of Treadneedle-Street in danger!')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 22 May 1797
NPG D13029

'End of the Irish invasion; - or - the destruction of the French armada', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D15304

'End of the Irish invasion; - or - the destruction of the French armada'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
etching and aquatint, published 20 January 1797
NPG D15304

'The wedding night', by Isaac Cruikshank, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D15555

'The wedding night'

by Isaac Cruikshank, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 20 May 1797
NPG D15555

'Search-night; - or - state-watchmen mistaking honest-men for conspirators', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12633

'Search-night; - or - state-watchmen mistaking honest-men for conspirators'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 20 March 1798
NPG D12633

'Meeting of unfortunate citoyens', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12648

'Meeting of unfortunate citoyens'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 12 May 1798
NPG D12648

'The explanation', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12651

'The explanation'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 30 May 1798
NPG D12651

'Pigs meat; - or - the swine flogg'd out of the farm yard', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12654

'Pigs meat; - or - the swine flogg'd out of the farm yard'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 22 June 1798
NPG D12654

'Two pair of portraits', by James Gillray, published by  John Wright - NPG D12669

'Two pair of portraits'

by James Gillray, published by John Wright
hand-coloured etching and engraving, published 1 December 1798
NPG D12669

'Consequences of a successful French invasion, No 1, plate 1st', by and published by James Gillray - NPG D13086

'Consequences of a successful French invasion, No 1, plate 1st'

by and published by James Gillray
hand-coloured etching, published 1 March 1798
NPG D13086

'The storm rising; - or - the Republican flotilla in danger', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13091

'The storm rising; - or - the Republican flotilla in danger'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 February 1798
NPG D13091

'

'"Two pair of portraits"'

by James Gillray, published by John Wright
etching and engraving, published 1 December 1798
NPG D13687

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