James Gillray was born in London in the Chelsey district. His father was Scottish and a war veteran. The young Gillray learned the profession of letter engraver and was later accepted as a student at the Royal Academy, working as an engraver time and again to finance his studies and livelihood. From a very young age he was interested in caricature, he especially loved William Hogarth, a very famous caricaturist of the 18th century who was his great idol. Very soon Gillray also began to publish caricatures himself, albeit at first under a fictitious name. Only little by little did drawings with his name appear. For many contemporaries and even today James Gillrey is considered "the father of political and social caricature". Of course, he also lived in a time of great political and social upheavals and also in a time when caricature as an important means of expression for depicting events and their interpretation became fashionable and suitable for the masses. Gillrey's intellect, his wit, his sometimes pitch-black humour and his gift for observation, but also his great talent for drawing made his works unique.
In his private life he was not so successful and happy. He suffered from arthritis or gout in his hands at a younger age, which caused him great pain, and his vision was also increasingly poor. Disabled in his work, he became melancholy and increasingly addicted to alcohol. James Gillray did not start a family either, but he probably lived with his publisher Hannah Humphrey for many years and thought about marrying her from time to time. At least contemporaries ascribe a relationship to the two and it is a fact that Hannah Humphrey took care of Gillray after he wanted to take his own life by jumping out of a window in 1811. He survived, but was repeatedly confronted with severe depressions and psychoses. In 1815 the artist died at the age of only 58 years. Among collectors the caricatures of James Gillray are still very popular. Key prints such as "Fashionable Contrasts" and "Light Expelling Darkness" have already fetched prices of 10,000 to 20,000 US dollars at auctions.
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.jpg "The Plum Pudding in danger or State Epicures taking un Petit Souper, pub. 1805 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Nelson")
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.jpg "A Voluptuary Under the Horrors of Digestion, July 2, 1792 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "John Bull Taking a Luncheon, or British Cooks, cramming Old Grumble-Gizzard with Bonne-Chere, published by Hannah Humphrey by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Fashionable Contrasts, or The Duchess")
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.jpg "The Grand Coronation Procession of Napoleon the 1st Emperor of France, from the Church of Notre-Dame by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-161499).jpg "Dido in Despair, published by Hannah Humphrey by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Destruction of the French Colossus by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-297654).jpg "Tales of Wonder, pub. H. Humphrey, London, 1802 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Le Baiser a la Wirtembourg, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1797 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Fighting for the Dunghill or Jack Tar settling Buonaparte by James Gillray")
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.jpg "National Conveniences, 1769 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Germans Eating Sour-Krout, published by Hannah Humphrey by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette Caught During Their Flight, 1791 (French Democrats Surprising the Royal Runaways) by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Gillray Cartoon on Vaccination Against Smallpox Using Cowpox Serum by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Zenith of French Glory; The Pinnacle of Liberty. Religion, Justice, Loyalty and all the Bugbears of Unenlightened Minds, Farewell!, published by Hannah Humphrey by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Wine Duty, or The Triumph of Bacchus and Silenus with John Bull")
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.jpg "The Apotheosis of Hoche, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1798 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Political Ravishment - Or the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street in Danger! by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Presentation of Mahometan Credentials, or The Final Resource of the French Atheist by James Gillray")
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_in_a_Bustle_publ_-_(MeisterDrucke-1645292).jpg "The Surrender of Amsterdam, or The Duke of Brunswick in a Bustle by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Blood on Thunder Fording the Red Sea, published by S.W. Fores in 1788 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Consequences of a Successful French Invasion, or We Fly on the Wings of the Wind to Save the Irish Catholics from Persecution by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Political-Dreamings! - Visions of Peace! - Perspective Horrors! by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1644775).jpg "Lady Godina")
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.jpg "French Liberty: British Slavery, c.1789, satirical cartoon by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Royal Joke, or Black Jacks Delight, published by S.W. Fores in 1788 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "United Irishmen Upon Duty by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392758).jpg "Matrimonial Harmonics, pub. 1805 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Lieutenant Governor Gall-Stone, Inspired by Alecto by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Charon")
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.jpg "Boney and Talley, The Corsican Carcase - Butcher")
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.jpg "The Corsican Pest, or Belzebub Going to Supper, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1803 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-391115).jpg "The Comet of 1811 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Sketch of the Interior of St. Stephen")
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.jpg "Tom Paine")
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.jpg "Blowing up the Pic Nic")
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.jpg "The State of War, or The Monkey Race in Danger, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1799 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Georgey in the Coal-Hole, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1801 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Lord Longbow the Alarmist, Discovering the Miseries of Ireland by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Opposition Telegraph")
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.jpg "The Generae of Patriotism, or The Bloomsbury Farmer Planting Bedfordshire Wheat by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Impeachment, or")
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.jpg "Buonaparte Leaving Egypt, Published by Hannah Humphrey in 1800 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-391130).jpg "Georgey in the Coal Hole by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Shakespeare Sacrificed, or The Offering to Avarice by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Fatigues of the Campaign in Flanders, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1793 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Harry Jenkins, the Masculine & Feminine Bellows Mender by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Maniac Ravings, or Little Boney in a Strong Fit, 1805 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Cincinnatus in Retirement, published by E. D")
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.jpg "The Grand Coronation Procession of Napoleon, the 1st Emperor of France, from the Church of Notre-Dame, 2nd December 1804, published 1805 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Pillars of the Constitution: Three o")
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.jpg "The Bear and His Leader, Published by Hannah Humphrey in 1806 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Destruction of the French Colossus by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Pandora Opening Her Box, Published by Hannah Humphrey, 1809 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "A Right Honourable, alias a Sans-Culotte, published by J. Fores in 1792 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Promised Horrors of the French Invasion, published by Hannah Humphrey by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Dr Sangrado Curing John Bull of Repletion by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Parasols, for 1795 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Presentation, or Wise Men")
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.jpg "The French Consular Triumvirate Settling the New Constitution with a Peep at the Constitutional Pigeon Holes of Abbe Sieyes in the Background, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1800 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392115).jpg "A Vestal of -93, trying on the Cestus of Venus, pub. 1793 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "A Military Sketch of a Gilt Stick, or a Poker Emblazoned, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1800 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Political Candour, i.e. Coalition")
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.jpg "The Balance of Power, or The Posterity of the Immortal Chatham turned")
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.jpg "Advantages of Wearing Muslin Dresses! dedicated to the serious attention of the fashionable ladies of Great Britain by James Gillray")
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.jpg "A March to the Bank by James Gillray")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-88562).jpg "Reception of the Diplomatique and his Suite at the Court of Pekin by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Great South Sea Caterpillar, Transformed into a Bath Butterfly by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Three Mr Wiggins")
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.jpg "National Conveniences by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Gentle Emetic, published by Hannah Humphrey by James Gillray")
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.jpg "A Corner near the Bank by James Gillray")
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.jpg "A Democrat, or Reason & Philosophy, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1793 by James Gillray")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-102028).jpg "Returning from Brooks")
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.jpg "The Spanish Bull Fight, or The Corsican Matador in Danger, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1808 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Pacific-Overtures, or A Flight from St. Clouds")
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.jpg "A Phantasmagoria; Scene - Conjuring-Up an Armed Skeleton by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Visit to Piccadilly, or A Prussian Reception by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Plate 3 from")
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.jpg "Tiddy-Doll the great French Gingerbread-Baker, drawing out a new Batch of Kings, 1806 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Loyal Souls, or A Peep into the Mess Room at St. James, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1797 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Mamlouk et Hussard Republicain, or General Result of Bonaparte")
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.jpg "A Little Supper in Parisian Style, or A Family of Sans-Culottes Refreshing after the Fatigues of the Day, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1792 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Procession to the Hustings after a Successful Canvass by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Anti-Saccharites, or John Bull and his Family leaving off the use of Sugar, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1792 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Titianus Redivivus or the Seven Wise Men Consulting the New Venetian Oracle, a Scene in Academic Grove No.1 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392123).jpg "A Witch upon a Mount")
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.jpg "For Improving the Breed, Sketched at Wirtemberg, Published by Hannah Humphrey in 1796 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Sir Richard Worse-than-Sly, Exposing his Wife")
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.jpg "The Genius of France Nursing Her Darling by James Gillray")
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.jpg "True Reform of Parliament, i.e. Patriots lighting a Revolutionary Bonfire in New Palace Yard by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-284787).jpg "Jack a Both Sides, Published by William Humphrey by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Weird Sisters: Ministers of Darkness: Minions of the Moon by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Jersey Smuggler detected, or Good Causes for Discontent:")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-162836).jpg "Wet Under Foot by James Gillray")
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