Catalogue Number
NMLH.2000.10.841
Object Name
Print
Title
'John Wilkes Esq Drawn From The Life And Etched In Aquafortis by William Hogarth, Published According To Act Of Parliament May 16 1763
People
John Wilkes, William Hogarth
Date
1763
Creator(s)
Hogarth, William
Description
John Wilkes seated on a chair, cross-eyed and wearing a wig which is styled to have devil horns. He is holding a pole topped with a dome labelled 'Liberty'. Beside him are issues 45 and 17 of his publication the North Briton.
John Wilkes was a popular journalist, politician, and campaigner for freedom of the press. He and the artist William Hogarth had a very public dispute which took the form of a series of vicious satirical prints. In this print, Hogarth has indicated his opinion of Wilkes as foolish by depicting him as cross eyed, and drawn his wig as having devil-like horns to suggest he is wicked.
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