Rowlandson (Thomas)

, [William Humphrey], 1784.
first published in April 1784, in the run up to the famous election, this plate was subsequently issued as the frontispiece to the 1st edition of William Humphrey’s ‘The History of the Westminster Election’, which appeared the following October. The simple composition depicts the three candidates in a line. Lord Hood on the left, captioned as Themistocles, the Athenian politician who was also, appropriately, a military leader. In the centre is Charles James Fox, in declamatory pose with one foot forward, left hand holding his hat to one side, right hand on heart and mouth open, also appropriately captioned Demosthenes, the great Athenian statesman and orator. On the right stands Sir Cecil Wray, captioned Judas Iscariot as he was commonly lampooned for his apparent betrayal of Fox who had originally appointed him to office. It was replaced as the frontispiece by ‘Liberty and Fame introducing Female Patriotism to Britania’ in the 2nd edition, where it was moved to face the first page.

The Westminster Election proved a huge boost to Rowlandson’s burgeoning career as a caricaturist, the political upheaval providing ample opportunities for him to lampoon both Fox and Pitt, which he did with relish, happily responding to demand from both sides..
235 by 350mm (9¼ by 13¾ inches).