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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 sick prince', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12365

'The sick prince'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 16 June 1787
NPG D12365

'Dido forsaken', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12994

'Dido forsaken'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 21 May 1787
NPG D12994

'Ancient music', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D13060

'Ancient music'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 10 May 1787
NPG D13060

'Ancient music', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D14861

'Ancient music'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
etching, published 10 May 1787
NPG D14861

'There's more ways than one' (Charles James Fox; William Pitt; Edward Thurlow, Baron Thurlow), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12373

'There's more ways than one' (Charles James Fox; William Pitt; Edward Thurlow, Baron Thurlow)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 18 February 1788
NPG D12373

'Market day', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12377

'Market day'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 2 May 1788
NPG D12377

'The bow to the throne, - alias - the begging bow', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12378

'The bow to the throne, - alias - the begging bow'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 6 May 1788
NPG D12378

'State-jugglers', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12381

'State-jugglers'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 16 May 1788
NPG D12381

'-Coaches', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12383

'-Coaches'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 20 May 1788
NPG D12383

'Election-troops, bring in their accounts, to the pay-table' (Edward Topham; William Pitt), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12390

'Election-troops, bring in their accounts, to the pay-table' (Edward Topham; William Pitt)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 14 August 1788
NPG D12390

William Pitt, by and published by John Keyse Sherwin, and published by  Robert Wilkinson, after  Thomas Gainsborough - NPG D40236

William Pitt

by and published by John Keyse Sherwin, and published by Robert Wilkinson, after Thomas Gainsborough
line engraving, published 15 June 1789
NPG D40236

William Pitt, by and published by John Keyse Sherwin, and published by  Robert Wilkinson, after  Thomas Gainsborough - NPG D40249

William Pitt

by and published by John Keyse Sherwin, and published by Robert Wilkinson, after Thomas Gainsborough
line engraving, published 15 June 1789
NPG D40249

William Pitt, by and published by John Keyse Sherwin, and published by  Robert Wilkinson, after  Thomas Gainsborough - NPG D40250

William Pitt

by and published by John Keyse Sherwin, and published by Robert Wilkinson, after Thomas Gainsborough
line engraving, published 15 June 1789
NPG D40250

William Pitt ('The vulture of the constitution'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12395

William Pitt ('The vulture of the constitution')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 3 January 1789
NPG D12395

William Pitt, by James Gillray, published by  John Harris - NPG D12402

William Pitt

by James Gillray, published by John Harris
etching, published 9 April 1789
NPG D12402

William Pitt, by James Gillray, published by  John Harris - NPG D12403

William Pitt

by James Gillray, published by John Harris
etching, published 28 May 1789
NPG D12403

'The coward comforted, - or - a scene immediately after the duel', by James Gillray, published by  James Aitken - NPG D12404

'The coward comforted, - or - a scene immediately after the duel'

by James Gillray, published by James Aitken
hand-coloured etching, published 29 May 1789
NPG D12404

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