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The blessing of new taxes!!! / Marks fect., British Cartoon Print
Summary
John Bull, holding a pipe and a frothing tankard, is beset by the Regent and Ministers. Sidmouth furtively takes the pipe from his hand, looking over John's head at the Regent who extends his hand to seize the tankard. The Regent, with both legs gouty and swollen, says: "Yes and I would take the blood from your veins if I could get any thing for it." At John's feet kneels Vansittart, ferociously plying a hammer inscribed Cannon with which he fixes to the floor a heavy chain riveted to an iron belt round John's waist. At the other end of the table sits Mrs. Bull, with tea-pot. She throws up her arms in dismay as Castlereagh takes the tea-pot. Eldon, in chancellor's wig and gown, walks off with wool sack.
Forms part of : British Cartoon Prints Collection (Library of Congress).
Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, no. 13269
It wasn't really until the 1700s that caricature truly blossomed as a form of political criticism. In the late 1750s, a man named Thomas Townshend began using the techniques employed by earlier engravers and applying them towards a political model. This gave Thompson's cartoons a much greater feeling of propaganda than previous artistic critiques of the time. The intense political climate of the period, and often accusatory nature of most political cartoons forced many artists to use pseudonyms in order to avoid accusations of libel. Other artists took it a step farther, and left their cartoons completely unsigned, foregoing any credit they may have received. Political higher-ups were notoriously touchy about their reputations and were not afraid to make examples of offenders. Puck was the first successful humor magazine in the United States of colorful cartoons, caricatures and political satire of the issues of the day. It was published from 1871 until 1918.
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