John Bull taking a luncheon: - or - British cooks, cramming old grumble-gizzard, with bonne-chére

1 portrait of Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe

Identify sitters

© National Portrait Gallery, London

2 Likes voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation Close

John Bull taking a luncheon: - or - British cooks, cramming old grumble-gizzard, with bonne-chére

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 24 October 1798
10 3/8 in. x 14 3/8 in. (262 mm x 365 mm) plate size; 10 3/4 in. x 15 in. (273 mm x 380 mm) paper size
Purchased, 1947
Reference Collection
NPG D12661

Artistsback to top

  • James Gillray (1756-1815), Caricaturist. Artist or producer associated with 887 portraits, Sitter in 7 portraits.
  • Hannah Humphrey (circa 1745-1818), Publisher and printseller. Artist or producer associated with 720 portraits, Sitter in 1 portrait.

Sittersback to top

This portraitback to top

This print is one of several produced to celebrate Britain's victory at Aboukir Bay in August 1798. Nelson, wearing an apron over his uniform, serves John Bull a main course of captured French ships. He is surrounded by other heroic British admirals including General Howe, Earl St Vincent and Sir John Warren who offer a variety of other dishes, symbolising previous naval triumphs. An already obese John Bull, symbol of England and a regular figure in Gillray's work, appears here as 'Old Grumble-Gizzard' complaining ungraciously about the excess of victories on offer. The table is laid with crossed cannons, a plate of battered ships and side-dishes containing small gunboats. Opposition MPs Charles James Fox and Richard Brinsley Sheridan who had predicted defeat, appear at the window in a distressed state.

Placesback to top

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.