GILLRAY | The Genuine Works of James Gillray, 1830

GILLRAY, JAMES

The Genuine Works of James Gillray engraved by himself. Thomas McLean, 1830

2 volumes, folio, 576 of 583 plates (called for in the illustrative description), hand-coloured, mostly printed back to back, title-pages with vignette, volume one with portrait frontispiece, contemporary half red morocco, spine gilt, [with] Illustrative Description of the Genuine Works of Mr. James Gillray, published Thomas Mclean, 1830, 2 volumes, 4to, list of political caricatures published by Thomas McLean at rear, volume two with one plate trimmed effecting title, internal spotting and browning throughout, hinges in each four volumes starting, volume one of folio with loss to foot of spine, volume two of folio with spine splitting, volume one of the description with upper board detached, volume two of description with spine splitting, boards scuffed and soiled, rubbed (4)

The father of the political cartoon, James Gillray (1757-1815) used his vicious humour and unparalleled draughtsmanship to produce some of the greatest political satire in history, providing foundations for an unapologetically British art form. His lively but vicious cartoons of George III, Napoleon I, William Pitt, and a variable host of characters were devoured by the public and are responsible, to a certain degree, for our lasting impression of Eighteenth-century political England.

The current work was the second attempt at a definitive collection of his works published by Thomas McLean in 1830, fifteen years after the artist’s tragic death. The work was published, as it is offered here, with a ‘key’ or an illustrative description in two volumes. These two additional volumes are themselves rare as only 100 copies were printed for sale.

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John Louis Ketterlinus, Philidelphia, bookplate

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