John Wilkes
1 portrait of John Wilkes
© National Portrait Gallery, London
John Wilkes
by William Dickinson, published by S. Sledge, after Robert Edge Pine
mezzotint, published 1768
13 1/8 in. x 9 1/8 in. (333 mm x 233 mm) plate size; 13 7/8 in. x 9 3/4 in. (351 mm x 249 mm) paper size
Purchased with help from the Friends of the National Libraries and the Pilgrim Trust, 1966
Reference Collection
NPG D37523
Sitterback to top
- John Wilkes (1725-1797), Journalist, agitator and politician; MP for Aylesbury and Middlesex. Sitter associated with 49 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 1 portrait.
Artistsback to top
- William Dickinson (1746-1823), Engraver and printseller. Artist or producer associated with 85 portraits, Sitter in 1 portrait.
- Robert Edge Pine (1730-1788), Painter. Artist or producer associated with 73 portraits.
- S. Sledge (active 1771-1781), Publisher. Artist or producer associated with 1 portrait.
Events of 1768back to top
Current affairs
William Pitt the Elder retires as Prime Minister due to ill health and is succeeded by Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton.Radical outlaw John Wilkes returns to England from France and is elected as MP for Middlesex. He finally surrenders to the King's Bench and is imprisoned.
Art and science
The Royal Academy is founded with painter Joshua Reynolds as its first president.Encyclopaedia Britannica begins publication in Edinburgh. It appears in weekly instalments under the editorship of William Smellie.
Philip Astley stages the first modern circus in what is now Waterloo.
Laurence Sterne publishes A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy.
International
Captain James Cook leads his first expedition to the Pacific from Plymouth, heading for Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus.Boston citizens refuse to quarter British troops amidst growing unrest in the American colonies
Corsica is sold to France by the Republic of Genoa.
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.