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.
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
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
hand-coloured etching, published 28 November 1795
NPG D12550
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
hand-coloured etching, published 24 December 1795
NPG D12552
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, soft-ground etching and engraving, published 30 April 1795
NPG D13083
'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
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
hand-coloured etching, published 20 November 1796
NPG D47470
after William Miller
line engraving, circa 1796-1806
NPG D5530
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 20 April 1796
NPG D12566
'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
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
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
hand-coloured etching, published 10 December 1796
NPG D12588
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 12 April 1796
NPG D13022
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
hand-coloured etching, published 24 April 1797
NPG D47140
'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
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 20 January 1797
NPG D12592
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.