'Doublûres of characters; - or - striking resemblances in phisiognomy'
11 of 51 portraits of George Tierney
'Doublûres of characters; - or - striking resemblances in phisiognomy'
by James Gillray, published by John Wright
hand-coloured aquatint and soft-ground etching, published 1 November 1798
10 3/8 in. x 14 1/4 in. (262 mm x 362 mm) plate size; 10 5/8 in. x 14 5/8 in. (270 mm x 370 mm) paper size
Purchased, 1947
Reference Collection
NPG D12663
Artistsback to top
- James Gillray (1756-1815), Caricaturist. Artist or producer associated with 887 portraits, Sitter in 7 portraits.
- John Wright (active 1798), Publisher. Artist or producer associated with 9 portraits.
Sittersback to top
- Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford (1765-1802), Whig politician and agriculturist. Sitter associated with 39 portraits. Identify
- Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Bt (1770-1844), Parliamentary reformer. Sitter associated with 135 portraits. Identify
- Edward Smith Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby (1752-1834), Sportsman and patron of horse-racing. Sitter associated with 65 portraits. Identify
- Charles James Fox (1749-1806), Whig statesman. Sitter associated with 313 portraits. Identify
- Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk (1746-1815), Politician; MP for Carlise and Arundel. Sitter associated with 55 portraits. Identify
- Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816), Dramatist and parliamentary orator. Sitter associated with 168 portraits. Identify
- George Tierney (1761-1830), Politician; MP for Southwark and Knaresborough. Sitter associated with 51 portraits. Identify
This portraitback to top
No political figure or public event was safe from the biting wit of James Gillray, the late eighteenth century's leading caricaturist. In 1798, he published Doublûres of Characters; -- or - striking Resemblances in Physiognomy. This explicit print played on the recent success of Lavater's Essay. By manipulating the principle that heart and face were essentially connected, Gillray ironically unveiled the 'true' faces of the opposition party by pairing their public face with its corrupted countertype. So, for example, we see 'The Patron of Liberty' turned into 'The Arch-Fiend' or a 'Character of High Birth' as 'Silenus debauching'.
Events of 1798back to top
Current affairs
To meet war costs, William Pitt introduces a Finance Bill which levies income tax for the first time.Art and science
William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge publish Lyrical Ballads; a key publication for the romantic movement in poetry. Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner opens the volume.Publisher and printseller Rudolph Ackermann establishes his popular 'Repository of the Arts' shop, gallery, library and social centre on the Strand.
International
Uprising of the United Irishmen: a republican rebellion which attempted to achieve Ireland's total independence by force with the aid of a French invasion. It was only narrowly defeated.Battle of the Nile. Napoleon's visionary Egyptian campaign offers British first major victory as Nelson destroys the French fleet.
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.