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 "Destruction of the French Colossus 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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.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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_-_(MeisterDrucke-297654).jpg "Tales of Wonder, pub. H. Humphrey, London, 1802 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "National Conveniences, 1769 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 "Fighting for the Dunghill or Jack Tar settling Buonaparte by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Germans Eating Sauerkraut 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 "New Morality, or The Promised Installment of the High Priest of the Theophilanthropes by James Gillray")
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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 "A Bravura Air, Mandane, 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 "Political Mathematician")
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.jpg "The Balance of Power or The Posterity of the Immortal Chatham, turns Posture Master by James Gillray")
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.jpg "British Political Cartoon, 1807 by James Gillray")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-207534).jpg "A Pig in a Poke, Published by S.W. Fores in 1788 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Zenith of French Glory; The Pinnacle of Liberty by James Gillray")
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.jpg "A Natural Crop; Alias - A Norfolk Dumpling by James Gillray")
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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 "The Tree of Liberty Must Be Planted Immediately by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392766).jpg "Despair, pub. 1802 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Gloria Mundi, or The Devil Addressing the Sun by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392094).jpg "Uncorking Old Sherry, pub. 1805 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Oh, That This Too, Too Solid Flesh Would Melt, Quotation from Hamlet, Act I. Scene I, Designed for the Shakespeare Gallery, Published by H. Humphrey, London, 1791 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392733).jpg "Gloria Mundi, or The Devil addressing the Sun, pub. 1782 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Charon")
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.jpg "Allied Powers Un-Booting Egalite by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1130900).jpg "The York Minuet by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-158012).jpg "The House that Jack Built, published by Walker by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Extirpation of the Plagues of Egypt; Destruction of Revolutionary Crocodiles by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392475).jpg "Midas, Transmuting all into Gold Paper by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Caricature of the French Expedition to Egypt, 1799 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Kiss at Württemberg by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392086).jpg "Pandora Opening her Box, pub. 1809 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "St George’s Volunteers Charging Down Bond Street by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Republican Attack by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Elements of Skating: Making the Most of a Passing Friend by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392079).jpg "The Injured Count, pub. 1786 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Plate 4, from The Life of William Cobbett, written by himself, pub. by H. Humphrey by James Gillray")
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_Caricature_representant_lactr_-_(MeisterDrucke-1324890).jpg "A Peep at Christie")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-41804).jpg "The Plum Pudding in Danger, 1805 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Bank-Notes, Paper-Money by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Lady Godina")
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.jpg "The Great South Sea Caterpillar, transformed into a Bath Butterfly, pub. 1792 by James Gillray")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-184135).jpg "Integrity Retiring from Office! by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1647069).jpg "The Butchers of Freedom by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Contrast or Things as they Are by James Gillray")
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.jpg "A March to the Bank by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Humphry Davy, British Chemist and Inventor by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Tree of Liberty Must be Planted Immediately, pub. 1797 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Disciples catching the Mantle: the Spirit of Darkness overshadowing the Priests of Baal by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Dissolution or The Alchemist producing an Aetherial Representation by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Stays, plate one from Progress of the Toilet by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Extirpation of the Plagues of Egypt, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1798 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Consequences of a Successful French Invasion by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Making Decent; i.e. Broad-Bottomites Getting into the Grand Costume by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Balance of Power, or The Posterity of the Immortal Chatham turned")
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.jpg "The Cow Pock or the Wonderful Effects of the New Inoculation by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392478).jpg "The Giant Factotum amusing himself 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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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392776).jpg "A Dish of Mutton-Chops by James Gillray")
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_pub_1788_(hand_coloured_eng_-_(MeisterDrucke-392495).jpg "Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe (Black-Dick turned tailor) by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Bear and His Leader, Published by Hannah Humphrey in 1806 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-280859).jpg "The Reconciliation, published by Hannah Humphrey, 1804 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Satire on the French Plans for an Invasion of England, 1798 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Democracy, or a Sketch by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Devil to Pay: The Wife Metamorphos")
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.jpg "Bombardinian, conferring upon State Affairs with one in Office, pub. 1779 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Sublime Oration: A Display of It by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1133294).jpg "A Ward of Chancery by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Death of the Great Wolf, 1795 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "A Duet:")
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.jpg "The New Dynasty, or The Little Corsican Gardener Planting a Royal Pippin Tree, Published by Hannah Humphrey in 1807 by James Gillray")
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_(bundw_photo)_-_(MeisterDrucke-37204).jpg "John Bull")
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.jpg "A Prince of the Old School by James Gillray")
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.jpg "John Bull taking Luncheon or British Cooks cramming Old Grumble Gizzard with Bonne Chere by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Metallic Tractors, 1801 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392124).jpg "Patent-Bolsters: The Way to Stay in Good Shape by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Visit to Piccadilly, or A Prussian Reception by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Siege of the Column of Pompey, Science in the Pillory by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver, Published by Hannah Humphrey in 1803 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Integrity Retiring from Office by James Gillray")
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 Taking Leave of his Wife and Family 1793 - (MeisterDrucke-90947).jpg "Louis XVI Taking Leave of his Wife and Family, 1793 by James Gillray")
 Taking Leave of his Wife and Family 1793 - (MeisterDrucke-90947).jpg)
.jpg "Ancient Music by James Gillray")
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.jpg "French Taylor Fitting John Bull with a")
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.jpg "The Contrast, 1792 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-265141).jpg "The Dog Tax, published by Hannah Humphrey by James Gillray")
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.jpg "The Real Cause of the Present High Price of Provisions, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1795 by James Gillray")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392782).jpg "The Kettle Hooting the Porridge-Pot by James Gillray")
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.jpg "William Pitt Expelling the Dark Forces, 1795 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Punch Cures the Gout, the Colic, and the")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-392102).jpg "Consequences of a Successful French Invasion, pub. 1798 by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Opening of the Budget or John Bull Giving his Breeches to Save his Bacon by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Pylades and Orestes by James Gillray")
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.jpg "Lieutenant Governor Gall-Stone, Inspired by Alecto, or The Birth of Minerva by James Gillray")
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