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George Cruikshank - Economy, British Cartoon Print
Summary
Brougham, in the guise of John Bull, appears to the Regent, holding up a broom which points towards a small scene surrounded by clouds. The Regent, who has been revelling over a large bowl of punch, falls back terrified, overturning his chair. Brougham, arm extended towards the Regent, declaims: "Retrench! Retrench, reflect on the distressed state of your country." The Regent falls on to McMahon, a tiny figure on hands and knees, gazing up at Brougham; he supports himself with his right hand on the knee of Lady Hertford. The vision above Brougham's head is of the Regent and McMahon, both ragged, seated facing each other at a plain wooden table on which are a jar of spring water and a lighted candle-end stuck in a bottle. The Regent gnaws a bare bone; McMahon (in miniature) takes up a small fish by the tail.
Forms part of : British Cartoon Prints Collection (Library of Congress).
Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 9, no. 12766
It wasn't really until the 1700s that caricature truly blossomed as a form of political criticism. In the late 1750s, a man named Thomas Townshend began using the techniques employed by earlier engravers and applying them towards a political model. This gave Thompson's cartoons a much greater feeling of propaganda than previous artistic critiques of the time. The intense political climate of the period, and often accusatory nature of most political cartoons forced many artists to use pseudonyms in order to avoid accusations of libel. Other artists took it a step farther, and left their cartoons completely unsigned, foregoing any credit they may have received. Political higher-ups were notoriously touchy about their reputations and were not afraid to make examples of offenders. Puck was the first successful humor magazine in the United States of colorful cartoons, caricatures and political satire of the issues of the day. It was published from 1871 until 1918.
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