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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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William Pitt ('John Bull bother'd; - or - the geese alarming the capitol'), by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12465

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 - NPG D12467

'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 - NPG D13010

'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 - NPG D13012

'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

'A smoking club', by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12470

'A smoking club'

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 - NPG D12474

'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

'Britannia between Scylla and Charybdis' (Charles James Fox; Joseph Priestley; Richard Brinsley Sheridan; William Pitt), by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12475

'Britannia between Scylla and Charybdis' (Charles James Fox; Joseph Priestley; Richard Brinsley Sheridan; William Pitt)

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 - NPG D13018

'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

'Pantagruel's victorious return to the court of Gargantua. After extirpating the soup-meagres of Bouille land', by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12484

'Pantagruel's victorious return to the court of Gargantua. After extirpating the soup-meagres of Bouille land'

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 - NPG D48867

William Pitt ('The State Caterpillar')

by William Hanlon, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 1 September 1795
NPG D48867

'Ministerial eloquence', by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12507

'Ministerial eloquence'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 6 January 1795
NPG D12507

'Patriotic regeneration, - viz. - Parliament reform'd, a la françois, - that is - honest men (ie - Opposition) in the seat of justice', by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12519

'Patriotic regeneration, - viz. - Parliament reform'd, a la françois, - that is - honest men (ie - Opposition) in the seat of justice'

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 - NPG D12525

'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

'John Bull ground down', by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12527

'John Bull ground down'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 June 1795
NPG D12527

'Presages of the millenium', by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12528

'Presages of the millenium'

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 - NPG D12531

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 - NPG D12541

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 - NPG D12542

William Pitt ('The sleep-walker')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 November 1795
NPG D12542

'The Republican attack', by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12543

'The Republican attack'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 November 1795
NPG D12543

'Hanging. Drowning', by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12545

'Hanging. Drowning'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 9 November 1795
NPG D12545

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