Gillray, James. “Paddy on Horse-back”. Original antique engraving by James Gillray. From the Bohn edition of 1851, using Gillray’s original copper plates. With later hand colouring.

Original antique copper engraving with hand colouring.

Published for the Bohn Edition from the original plates in 1851.

The artwork is a biting piece of political and social satire from the late 18th century. Despite the title, the central figure (an impoverished Irishman, or “Paddy”) is actually shown riding a bull.

The image depicts the character riding the animal backwards while heading toward London. It was intended to mock the perceived ignorance and “backwardness” of Irish immigrants arriving in England at the time.

It was first published on 4 March 1779 by William Humphrey and remains one of Gillray’s well-known early works. This print is from the Bohn edition of 1851, the last time Gillray’s original copper plates were used to pull prints.

Gillray was one of five children, and the only one to survive to maturity. In 1770 he was apprenticed to Harry Ashby, a London writing in engraver, and five years later W. Humphrey published a few of Gillray’s illustrations including satirical works. By the time Gillray commenced his career satire was old, but personal caricature was in its infancy.

Other exponents in this form of art were soon overshadowed by Gillray’s superior craftsmanship. His figures were full of vitality, titillating and reflective of some political crisis or private scandal. As his popularity increased so did demand by the public to see more of his work. In the rapidly changing politics of the late18th century he would produce a plate in twenty-four hours. Although sometimes overlooked his speech bubbles were elaborate and Gillray would spend considerable time composing and redrafting the text.

Between 1791 to 1807 his career continued successfully in association with William and Hannah Humphrey. There after Gillray’s health began to suffer. He eventually slipped into madness and died shortly before the Battle of Waterloo on June 1st 1815. Hannah, who had a close relationship with him nursed Gillray through out his final years and following his death the copper plates then formed part of Hannah’s estate when she died in 1818.

The executor’s of Hannah’s estate sold Gillray’s painstakingly worked plates for their second hand copper weight. Hearing of this, the then publisher, Bohn who had previously expressed an interest in buying the plates set about purchasing them from a variety of different sources, eventually acquiring over 500. In 1851 Bohn republished the engravings in a large folio volume, “The Works of James Gillray”.