Packing a Punch: British Graphic Satire and Caricature

Caricature, thought to have originated in Italy in the late 16th century, developed out of artists exaggerating their subjects’ physical features for expressive or comical effect.

It arrived in England in the 1700s, and by the end of the century, had transformed in its use from mere lampoonery into satire and the comic cartoon.

This display focuses on prints and drawings created in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries by artists who defined caricature at its height in the Georgian period, and others who developed the genre – often into arguably more respectable forms – in the Victorian era. It explores the variety, confines and crossovers of caricature, satire and cartoons by looking at their intended functions, dissemination and audiences – and explores how humour doesn’t always transcend the generations.

Gallery

29 October 2021 - 16 January 2022

Free to visit

Print Bay, Green Gallery