The Rival Pigs
published June 15, 1795
Medium
Hand-colored etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 22 × 36 cm (8 11/16 × 14 3/16 in.); Plate: 24 × 37.5 cm (9 1/2 × 14 13/16 in.); Sheet: 25.1 × 39.8 cm (9 15/16 × 15 11/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
89825
Art Historical Context
Isaac Cruikshank’s *The Rival Pigs*, published on June 15, 1795, exemplifies the vibrant tradition of satirical printmaking at the of the eighteenth century. As a hand-colored etching on ivory laid paper, the work was designed for wide circulation, allowing sharp political and social commentary to reach a broad audience beyond elite galleries. Cruikshank, a Scottish-born caricaturist active in London, specialized in such affordable prints that captured the turbulent politics of the era, including reactions to the French Revolution and domestic rivalries. The medium is central to the print’s s...