James Gillray (1757 - 1815)

SIN, DEATH AND THE DEVIL. 1792. BMC 8105, Wright pg. 146-7 (illustrated), Draper-Hill 44 (illustrated), Godfrey 105 (illustrated), Wright & Evans 86. Hand-colored etching, 315 x 400 mm (12 3/8 x 15 3/4”) plus margins, on heavy wove paper. A fine impression with unfaded color. Published 9 June 1792 by H. Humphrey.

Sold

"A bitter struggle between Pitt and Thurlow, the Chancellor, culminated in the latter's loss of office, a result believed to owe much to Pitt's influence with the Queen. Gillray has once again plundered Milton's Paradise Lost, with Pitt represented at Death, Thurlow as the Devil, and the Queen as Sin. The representation of the Queen as a Devilish hag, half serpent, her breasts withered, is one of the most savage ever sustained by a royal person. This print is believed to have given great offence at court."

Richard Godfrey: James Gillray, The Art of Caricature, 2001, No. 105.

Browse more English prints