The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver
Artist
James Gillray
(1756-1815)
Date1804
Object number00054727
NameCaricature
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 355 × 475 mm
Mount / Matt size: 522 × 717 mm
Mount / Matt size: 522 × 717 mm
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis caricature is one of a collection of seventeen created during the Napoleonic wars and highlights the fortunes of the French Emperor during his rise and fall. It was during this period that the character of John Bull was created as a representation of the solid English yeoman and the caricatures reflect the attitudes common in England at the time.SignificanceThe collection is significant as a contemporary expression of popular British attitudes towards Napoleon and his era. The collection includes works by noted artists James Gillray, Isaac Cruikshank and Thomas Rowlandson and are all original works dating to the first quarter of the 19th century. They are significant in providing a political context for the early years of British settlement in Australia.
