"A Great Man on The Turf": A 19th Century James Gillray Hand-colored Etching

$1,575.00

This framed hand-colored etching and aquatint entitled "A Great Man on The Turf or Sir Solomon in all his Glory" by James Gillray was published in London by Hanna Humphrey, 27 St. James Street on July 7th 1803. The print is signed in the plate in the lower right. It depicts a man, possibly a caricature of the racehorse breeder Sir Solomon. However, there has been some controversy about the identity of the central figure on the mound. Traditionally the man has been thought to represent John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, a prominent politician and statesman. The figure is standing on a mound facing to the right, watching a race on a cloudy day. He wears his horse riding costume, including spurs on his boots and a riding-switch in his right hand. Three horses race in the background with crowds of tiny cheering figures in the distance, some on foot and others on horseback.

Creator: James Gillray (1757 - 1815, British)

Creation Year: 1803

Dimensions: Height: 23.13 in (58.76 cm)
Width: 19.13 in (48.6 cm)
Depth: 1.88 in (4.78 cm)

Medium: Etching

Condition: See description below.

This framed hand-colored etching and aquatint entitled "A Great Man on The Turf or Sir Solomon in all his Glory" by James Gillray was published in London by Hanna Humphrey, 27 St. James Street on July 7th 1803. The print is signed in the plate in the lower right. It depicts a man, possibly a caricature of the racehorse breeder Sir Solomon. However, there has been some controversy about the identity of the central figure on the mound. Traditionally the man has been thought to represent John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, a prominent politician and statesman. The figure is standing on a mound facing to the right, watching a race on a cloudy day. He wears his horse riding costume, including spurs on his boots and a riding-switch in his right hand. Three horses race in the background with crowds of tiny cheering figures in the distance, some on foot and others on horseback.

Creator: James Gillray (1757 - 1815, British)

Creation Year: 1803

Dimensions: Height: 23.13 in (58.76 cm)
Width: 19.13 in (48.6 cm)
Depth: 1.88 in (4.78 cm)

Medium: Etching

Condition: See description below.

This Gillray etching is held by many museums, including: The British Museum, The National Portrait Gallery and The Yale University Museum of Art.

This hand-colored Gillray satirical etching and aquatint is presented in a gold-colored ornamental frame with a cream-colored French mat. It is glazed with UV conservation glass. The frame measures 23.13 in height, 19.13" in width and maximum of 1.88" in depth. There is some faint spotting, but the print is otherwise in very good condition.

James Gillray (1756-1815) was a British caricaturist/satirist and printmaker who was popular in his time and he is still famous for his political and social satire. He has been called "the father of the political cartoon". His satirical targets included King George III, Napoleon, as well as prime ministers and generals. He is one of the most accomplished of a large number of important British caricaturists, including William Hogarth, Thomas Rowlandson, Isaac and George Cruikshank and the Vanity Fair artists, such as Leslie Ward (Spy). His works were published by Hanna Humphrey and often were displayed in her London gallery window when they were completed.

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