The Right Honorable William Pitt
May 28, 1789
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate line): 15 7/8 x 12 in. (40.3 x 30.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.756–1375
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1789 by the celebrated British caricaturist James Gillray, this etching and engraving portrays William Pitt the Younger, who served as Britain’s Prime Minister during a turbulent era that included the early years of the French Revolution. Gillray, a master of political satire, frequently turned his sharp eye on Pitt and other leading figures, using exaggerated features and symbolic details to comment on contemporary events. The work’s formal title belies the artist’s typically witty and critical approach, offering viewers a glimpse into how public figures were both celebrated and sc...