an unsuccessful actor and artist, James Gillray found that by mixing
his undoubted talent in drawing with savage political wit he could
make his mark on the world.
targets - leading British politicians and society figures - seemed
to enjoy the poisoned satire and it soon became the "in" thing to
be so attacked.
the start of the French Revolution, Gillray
changed his aim and backed Britain's stand against the French.
national symbol - a never-say-die John Bull - became the defender
of the world against revolutionary fervour.
perhaps the most savage of all attacks by Gillray were aimed at
Napoleon Bonaparte who he often
portrayed as a tiny figure full of hot air and overconfidence.
all his success, however, years of heavy drinking eventually caught
up with Gillray and led to his death in 1815.