Satire Collection

Gin Lane (Beer Street and Gin Lane 2), 1751. Artist: Hogarth, William (1697-1764)
Gin Lane (Beer Street and Gin Lane 2), 1751. From a private collection

Beer Street, 1751. Artist: William Hogarth
Beer Street, 1751. Working people enjoying a tankard of beer outside the Barley Mow public house. The figures include two women with baskets of fish and a butcher holding a joint of meat

The Physician Curing Fantasy. Anonymous engraved French broadsheet of the 17th century
BROADSHEET, 17th CENTURY. The Physician Curing Fantasy. Anonymous engraved French broadsheet of the 17th century, an amusing travesty on the idea that wisdom can be imbibed

Oscar Wilde cartoon
Oscar Wilde - IRISH PLAYWRIGHT Cartoon Portrayal

HOGARTH: GIN LANE. Beer Street and Gin Lane. Steel engraving, c1860, after the original by William Hogarth (1697-1764)

Gin Lane, 1751. Artist: William Hogarth
Gin Lane, 1751.The scene is the St Giles slums. A child falls to its death from the arms of its drunk mother who sits with ulcerated legs. A skeletal figure holds an empty glass

HOGARTH: BEER STREET. Beer Street and Gin Lane. Steel engraving, c1860, after the original by William Hogarth

Man riding on a steam rocket
The Flight of Intellect. A comic image of a thin man riding on a steam rocket, with his top hat flying off behind him. Portrait of Mr Golightly experimenting on Mess Quick & Speeds new patent high

NAPOLEON CARTOON, 1805. The Plumb-pudding in danger; - or State Epicures taking un Petit Souper. Satirical etching, 1805, by James Gillray a propos of a peace overture from Napoleon

Duke Wellington / Paul Pry
DUKE OF WELLINGTON British General and Statesman Known as the Iron Duke A Wellington Boot - Satire

Poster advertising the D Oyly Carte Opera Company, famous for its Gilbert and Sullivan operetta productions. Pictured are scenes from The Gondoliers, The Mikado and The Yeomen of the Guard

Thomas Nast cartoon about Boss Tweed corruption
" Who stole the peoples money? Twas him" cartoon about Tammany Hall scandal, 1871. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction of a Thomas Nast cartoon

Gin Juggarnath, 1835
The Gin Juggarnath, or the Worship of the Great Spirit of the age : a satire on gins apparent grip on British life in the early nineteenth century

The March of Intellect, (1828?). Artist: Robert Seymour
The March of Intellect, (1828?); showing a juggernaut figure with London University on its head and balloons issuing from its pipe, sweeping and kicking to one side lawyers, vicars, and quack doctors

Fleisch macht Fleisch (Meat Gives Meat), 1555. Found in the Collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Science / Gillray Satire
New Discoveries in Pneumaticks! A satire on the Royal Institution: Thomas Young experiments on Hippisley, Humphry Davy at the bellows, Rumford by the door

Charles Darwin
CHARLES DARWIN satire : Man is but a worm

Suffragettes - Christmas Dinner in Holloway by Lawson Wood
Four portly prison officers and policemen force feed a handcuffed suffragette Christmas pudding from the police buffet trolley in Holloway Prison. Date: 1912

Serio-Comic War Map For The Year 1877, 1877. Found in the collection of State History Museum, Moscow

Dropping the Pilot, 1890. Artist: John Tenniel
Dropping the Pilot, 1890. Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) Prussian/German statesman, resigned as Chancellor, together with his son the German foreign minister

The Gentleman Who Asked the Carver - H. M. Bateman
The Gentleman who asked the carver at Simpson s-in-the-Strand whether the meat was English or foreign. A curious and innocent question from a diner at the famous English restaurant causing more than

HOGARTH: FALSE PERSPECTIVE. Satire on False Perspective. (Whoever makes a design, without the knowledge of perspective)
HOGARTH: FALSE PERSPECTIVE. Satire on False Perspective. (Whoever makes a design, without the knowledge of perspective, will be liable to such absurdities as are shown in this print)

William Hogarth Four Times of the Day - Morning
Vintage engraving of showing a scene from William Hogarths Four Times of the Day. They are humorous depictions of life in the streets of London, the vagaries of fashion

William Hogarth The Analysis of Beauty, Plate 1
Vintage engraving of William Hogarth The Analysis of Beauty, Plate 1. The Analysis of Beauty is a book written by the 18th-century artist and writer William Hogarth, published in 1753

Revelling with Harlots, plate III of A Rakes Progress, 1735. Tom Rakewell and a companion consorting with harlots in a tavern

Someone Drops a Sixpence Near Somerset House - HM Bateman
H.M. Bateman had a particular loathing for the taxman as exemplified in this cartoon showing the inhabitants of Somerset House (then the home of the Inland Revenue)

Los Caprichos by Francisco de Goya (1746-1828)
Francisco de Goya (1746-1828). Spanish painter and printmaker. Los Caprichos. Lo que puede un sastre! (What can a tailor!). Number 52. Aquatint. 1799. Reproduction by M. Segui i Riera

Protestant Reformation. Satire against Martin Luther (1483
Protestant Reformation. 16th century. Germany. Satire against Martin Luther (1483-1546). Colored engraving

Cartoon, Mermaids and U-Boats, WW1
Cartoon, Mermaids and U-Boats. Two mermaids and two fish are disturbed by a German U-boat which has a face like a shark. Date: 1917

Female jockeys riding gentlemen like horses
Two women jockeys with riding crops, spur on their steeds - not horses, but top-hatted and tailed gentlemen who wear bridles in their mouths

Irish gentleman in a whisky bar in Dublin prison, 1821
Irish gentleman in Croftons whisky and beer bar in Dublin prison, 1821. Bankrupt Brian Boru with his friends in the taproom drinking with criminals and debtors. The Tap in Sheriffs Prison

The Sleeping Congregation, William Hogarth
Vintage engraving of The Sleeping Congregation, William Hogarth. Interior of a church where the congregation sleeps as the clergyman reads from the gospel

The Income Tax Official in Hades by H. M. Bateman
A tax man from the Inland Revenue suffering his worst nightmare - locked in a cage suspended over a pile of cheques and money he cannot reach. Cartoon by H. M

Awful changes cartoon
Satirical pen and ink cartoon by Henry T De la Beche c.1830, depicting Charles Lyell (centre) as Professor Ichthyosaurus

HOGARTH: FOUR TIMES OF DAY. Night. Steel engraving after the original, 1738, by William Hogarth

Rejected by the inventions board
" Rejected by the inventions board. VII -The Gallipoli Shell-Diverter for returning the Enemys Fire" There were other theatres of war besides he Western Front

Satire on Phrenology
Satire on the study of Phrenology - a Free Knowledgey - illustrating the worst elements of human behavious illustrated in different zones of the head (including Obscene Language, criminal activity)

Smoking club, 18th century artwork. The practice of smoking tobacco was popularised in England and Ireland in the 1580s and 1590s by the English soldier and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (c.1552-1618)

London going out of town -- the expansion of London
London going out of town, or, The March of Bricks & Mortar -- Cruikshanks cartoon comment on the expansion of London

Medical Vaccination
THE COW POCK or, the Wonderful Effects of the new Inoculation - satire on Jenners treatment

Cartoon of Winston Churchill, British statesman
A cartoon depiction of Winston Churchill, British statesman and historian

Charles Darwin with a lookalike ape
Charles Darwin holding up a hand mirror to an ape, showing how alike the pair of them are

Integrity retiring from Office!, 1801
Integrity retiring from Office!, Pub. 1801 (hand coloured engraving). William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806) resigns as Prime Minister in protest at Kings rejection of the bills to unite England

The Lawyers Office, 1545. Artist: Reymerswaele, Marinus Claesz, van (ca. 1490-after 1567)
The Lawyers Office, 1545. Found in the collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art

A Subtle Competition by H. M. Bateman, golfing fashion
Cartoon by the master of social satire, H. M. Bateman showing two men in competition to wear a series of increasingly outrageous golf outfits

HOGARTH: FOUR TIMES OF DAY. Noon. Steel engraving after the etching and engraving, 1738, by William Hogarth

Ladies Football, 1894
The lady footballers: an anticipation. The Sketch anticipates the brave new world of women footballers: a good looking goalkeeper recieves much attention

Market Reports - English Country Squire carves the beef
Market Reports illustrated (Postcard series): MEAT: " English beef was in fine condition." This report on English beef (as a commodity traded on the Stock Exchange)

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"Satire: A Timeless Art of Social Commentary" From William Hogarth's iconic prints Gin Lane and Beer Street, to James Gillray's biting political cartoons, it has long been a powerful tool for social commentary. These artists used their craft to expose the vices and follies of society with sharp wit and clever imagery. In Gin Lane, Hogarth vividly portrays the devastating effects of alcoholism on individuals and communities. The chaotic scene serves as a cautionary tale against excessive drinking, highlighting the dark underbelly of London's gin craze in the 18th century. Meanwhile, Beer Street presents a stark contrast - an idyllic vision of moderation and prosperity. By juxtaposing these two prints, Hogarth satirically critiques societal choices while advocating for responsible consumption. Moving forward in time, we encounter Gillray's Napoleon Cartoon from 1805. This satirical etching humorously depicts Napoleon Bonaparte and British Prime Minister William Pitt carving up the world like a plumb pudding during peace negotiations. Through this exaggerated portrayal, Gillray mocks both leaders' hunger for power at the expense of global stability. Satire is not limited to politics alone; it also tackles technological advancements like man riding on a steam rocket or advertisements such as D'Oyly Carte Opera Company poster. These works playfully poke fun at society's fascination with progress or consumerism. Even centuries ago, satire was employed by artists like Charles Williams who parodied an advertisement for Rumford stoves in Luxury or Comforts of a Rum p ford. By exaggerating its benefits through colorful caricatures, Williams exposes how easily people can be swayed by marketing tactics. The Serio-Comic War Map For The Year 1877 takes satire into geopolitical realms by comically mapping out international conflicts during that period. It highlights absurdities within war strategies while reminding viewers that behind every conflict lie real human lives affected by political decisions.