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- subject matching 'National stereotypes'

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Gillray made extensive use of national stereotypes, as have humorists of all types before and since. His John Bull is often not the symbol of English national pride familiar from the late nineteenth and twentieth century, but a stolid and sometimes unintelligent man, easily taken advantage of by politicians. Opening of the budget; - or - John Bull giving his breeches to save his bacon (D12583), for example, refers to the tax demands placed on John Bull due to the war with France. Gillray was unafraid of targeting fellow Britons: his Sawney in the bog-house (D12978) is a particularly unpleasant image of the stereotyped uncouth Scot; and he also had an established cast of characters to represent European foreigners.

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'Sawney in the bog-house', by James Gillray, published by  Mrs Holt - NPG D12978

'Sawney in the bog-house'

by James Gillray, published by Mrs Holt
hand-coloured etching, published 4 June 1779
NPG D12978

'John Bull triumphant', by James Gillray, published by  William Humphrey - NPG D12283

'John Bull triumphant'

by James Gillray, published by William Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 4 January 1780
NPG D12283

'John Bull, in a quandary' (Lord John Townshend; Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12389

'John Bull, in a quandary' (Lord John Townshend; Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 31 July 1788
NPG D12389

'John-Bull, baited by the dogs of excise', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12408

'John-Bull, baited by the dogs of excise'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 9 April 1790
NPG D12408

'Britannia', probably by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12421

'Britannia'

probably by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 25 June 1791
NPG D12421

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

'French liberty British slavery', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12466

'French liberty British slavery'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 21 December 1792
NPG D12466

'John Bull's progress', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12476

'John Bull's progress'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 3 June 1793
NPG D12476

'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

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

'The wine duty; - or - the triumph of Bacchus & Silenus; with John Bulls remonstrance', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12567

'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

'Opening of the budget; - or - John Bull giving his breeches to save his bacon', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12583

'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 - NPG D12588

'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

'National conveniences', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13021

'National conveniences'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 25 January 1796
NPG D13021

'Le bonnet-rouge; - or - John Bull evading the hat tax', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12607

'Le bonnet-rouge; - or - John Bull evading the hat tax'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 5 April 1797
NPG D12607

Charles James Fox ('The tree of liberty, - with, the devil tempting John Bull'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12649

Charles James Fox ('The tree of liberty, - with, the devil tempting John Bull')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 23 May 1798
NPG D12649

'Allied-powers, un-booting egalité' (Napoléon Bonaparte; William V, Prince of Orange?), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12705

'Allied-powers, un-booting egalité' (Napoléon Bonaparte; William V, Prince of Orange?)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 September 1799
NPG D12705

'French-taylor, fitting John Bull - with a

'French-taylor, fitting John Bull - with a "Jean de Bry"'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 18 November 1799
NPG D12713

'German luxury, - or - repos a l'allemande', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12721

'German luxury, - or - repos a l'allemande'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and soft-ground etching, published 22 January 1800
NPG D12721

'The first kiss this ten years! - or - the meeting of Britannia and Citizen François', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12797

'The first kiss this ten years! - or - the meeting of Britannia and Citizen François'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, soft-ground etching and aquatint, published 1 January 1803
NPG D12797

'Germans eating sour-krout', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12809

'Germans eating sour-krout'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 7 May 1803
NPG D12809

Napoléon Bonaparte ('John Bull offering little Boney fair play'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12819

Napoléon Bonaparte ('John Bull offering little Boney fair play')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 2 August 1803
NPG D12819

'John Bull and the alarmist' (Richard Brinsley Sheridan; King George III?), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12821

'John Bull and the alarmist' (Richard Brinsley Sheridan; King George III?)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 September 1803
NPG D12821

'

'"The friend of the people", and his petty-new-tax-gatherer, paying John Bull a visit'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 28 May 1806
NPG D12867