THREE ENGLISH HAND COLORED POLITICAL SATIRE ENGRAVINGS: THE PRINCE'S BOW, PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM HOLLAND, LONDON, 1788.London, William Holland, 1788. "Holland's Caricature Rooms are now open, presenting a general Exhibition of all of the distinguished Caricatures that have been published the last ten years, with many original paintings and drawings of high celebrity. Admittance, one Shilling."
Prints disseminating political satire have a long tradition in Britain, dating back to the political and social shifts of the Enlightenment. A number of factors contributed to the flourishing of visual satire in late-18th-century Britain. The reign of King George III (1760–1820) saw the revival of rival political parties – Whig and Tory – after a 45-year hiatus, and revolutions in France and America demonstrated the vulnerabilities of European monarchies. The absence of absolutism in Britain carried with it a relative freedom of the press. Victims of satire were more likely to buy up editions or bribe publishers with a pension than resort to the courts (or worse) to keep unflattering depictions away from the public eye.
- 10" x 24 1/4" sight, 14 3/4" x 29" framed. Estimate $250-350
PROVENANCE: Professor John Hirschfield, Baltimore, MD
