Search the Collection

39 portraits matching these criteria:

- subject matching 'Literary and classical references'

Not found what you are looking for? Try our Advanced search

Gillray’s caricatures were not cheap. They were sold to an educated audience who were aware of the political scene and at the same time were able to decipher the prints’ sometimes complex literary allusions. Literary references ranged from Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels in The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver (D13104) to Shakespeare: Taming of the shrew : - Katharine & Petruchio : - the modern Quixotte, or what you will (D12416). Classical references are more frequent and typified by The Fall of Icarus (D13044). This shows Lord Temple with disintegrating wings formed from the pens and stationery he was said to have appropriated after leaving government office.

List Thumbnail

'Tom Jones, Partridge and the Beggar', by James Gillray, published by  Thomas Macklin - NPG D12285

'Tom Jones, Partridge and the Beggar'

by James Gillray, published by Thomas Macklin
stipple engraving, published 14 September 1780
NPG D12285

'Sophia, Honour and the Chambermaid', by James Gillray, published by  Thomas Macklin - NPG D12286

'Sophia, Honour and the Chambermaid'

by James Gillray, published by Thomas Macklin
stipple engraving, published 1 August 1780
NPG D12286

'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

'The fall of Phaeton' (King George IV; Maria Anne Fitzherbert (née Smythe)), by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12997

'The fall of Phaeton' (King George IV; Maria Anne Fitzherbert (née Smythe))

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 1 July 1788
NPG D12997

'Shakespeare sacrificed; - or - the offering to avarice' (John Boydell), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13069

'Shakespeare sacrificed; - or - the offering to avarice' (John Boydell)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 20 June 1789
NPG D13069

'Wierd sisters; ministers of darkness; minions of the moon', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12436

'Wierd sisters; ministers of darkness; minions of the moon'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 23 December 1791
NPG D12436

'Oh! That this too too solid flesh would melt', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12413

'Oh! That this too too solid flesh would melt'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 20 March 1791
NPG D12413

'Taming of the shrew : - Katharine & Petruchio : - the modern Quixotte, or what you will', by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12416

'Taming of the shrew : - Katharine & Petruchio : - the modern Quixotte, or what you will'

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 20 April 1791
NPG D12416

'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

'Polonius', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12523

'Polonius'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 18 May 1795
NPG D12523

'My Poll and my partner Joe', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12565

'My Poll and my partner Joe'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured stipple engraving, published 18 April 1796
NPG D12565

'Cymon and Iphigenia', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12569

'Cymon and Iphigenia'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured stipple engraving, published 2 May 1796
NPG D12569

Charles James Fox ('The Republican-Hercules defending his country'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12599

Charles James Fox ('The Republican-Hercules defending his country')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 19 February 1797
NPG D12599

Samuel Ireland ('Notorious characters. No 1'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12629

Samuel Ireland ('Notorious characters. No 1')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
stipple engraving, published 1 December 1797
NPG D12629

'Shrine at St Ann's Hill', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12650

'Shrine at St Ann's Hill'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured aquatint, published 26 May 1798
NPG D12650

Napoleon Bonaparte, by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12671

Napoleon Bonaparte

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 8 December 1798
NPG D12671

'New Pantheon of Democratic Mythology', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12685

'New Pantheon of Democratic Mythology'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and soft-ground etching, published 7 May 1799
NPG D12685

Charles James Fox ('Hercules reposing'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12686

Charles James Fox ('Hercules reposing')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and soft-ground etching, published 7 May 1799
NPG D12686

George Walpole ('Mars'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12687

George Walpole ('Mars')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 7 May 1799
NPG D12687

'Harpyes defiling the feast' (George Tierney; George Shuckburgh; Joseph Jekyll), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12688

'Harpyes defiling the feast' (George Tierney; George Shuckburgh; Joseph Jekyll)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 7 May 1799
NPG D12688

John Nicolls ('Cupid'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12689

John Nicolls ('Cupid')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 7 May 1799
NPG D12689

'The twin stars, Castor & Pollux' (George Barclay?; Charles Sturt?), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12690

'The twin stars, Castor & Pollux' (George Barclay?; Charles Sturt?)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 7 May 1799
NPG D12690

John Penn ('Pen-etration'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12703

John Penn ('Pen-etration')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 6 August 1799
NPG D12703

Emma Hamilton ('Dido, in despair!'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13034

Emma Hamilton ('Dido, in despair!')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and stipple engraving, published 6 February 1801
NPG D13034

'Blowing up the Pic Nic's; - or - Harlequin Quixotte attacking the puppets', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12786

'Blowing up the Pic Nic's; - or - Harlequin Quixotte attacking the puppets'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 2 April 1802
NPG D12786

'The King of Brobdingnag, and Gulliver' (Napoléon Bonaparte; King George III), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12815

'The King of Brobdingnag, and Gulliver' (Napoléon Bonaparte; King George III)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 26 June 1803
NPG D12815

'The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13104

'The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and engraving, published 10 February 1804
NPG D13104

'Palemon and Lavinia', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13041

'Palemon and Lavinia'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 23 January 1805
NPG D13041

'The fall of Icarus', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D32279

'The fall of Icarus'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
etching, published 20 April 1807
NPG D32279

'The fall of Icarus', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13044

'The fall of Icarus'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 20 April 1807
NPG D13044

'Phaeton alarm'd!', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13115

'Phaeton alarm'd!'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, engraving and aquatint, published 22 March 1808
NPG D13115

'Venus a la coquelle; - or the Swan-sea Venus', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12920

'Venus a la coquelle; - or the Swan-sea Venus'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 28 March 1809
NPG D12920