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.
William Pitt ('John Bull bother'd; - or - the geese alarming the capitol')
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 19 December 1792
NPG D12465
'The dagger scene; - or - the plot discover'd'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 30 December 1792
NPG D12467
'Taking physick: - or - the news of shooting the King of Sweden!'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 11 April 1792
NPG D13010
'Wha wants me?' (Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville; William Pitt)
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 2 June 1792
NPG D13012
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 13 February 1793
NPG D12470
'Dumourier dining in state at St James's, on the 15th of May, 1793
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 30 March 1793
NPG D12474
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 8 April 1793
NPG D12475
'Presentation of the Mahometan credentials - or - the final resource of French atheists'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 26 December 1793
NPG D13018
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 10 February 1794
NPG D12484
William Pitt ('The State Caterpillar')
by William Hanlon, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 1 September 1795
NPG D48867
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 6 January 1795
NPG D12507
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, engraving and aquatint, published 2 March 1795
NPG D12519
'God save the King, - in a bumper. or - an evening scene, three times a week at Wimbleton'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 27 May 1795
NPG D12525
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 June 1795
NPG D12527
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, engraving and aquatint, published 4 June 1795
NPG D12528
William Pitt ('Blindmans-buff - or - too many for John Bull')
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 12 June 1795
NPG D12531
William Pitt ('The British butcher, supplying John Bull with a substitute for bread')
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 6 July 1795
NPG D12541
William Pitt ('The sleep-walker')
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 November 1795
NPG D12542
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 November 1795
NPG D12543
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 9 November 1795
NPG D12545
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.