Origins '', Plate 8, 1735, and retouched by
William Hogarth in 1763 by adding the Britannia emblem The pictorial satire has been credited as the precursor to the political cartoons in England: John J. Richetti, in
The Cambridge history of English literature, 1660–1780, states that "English graphic satire really begins with Hogarth's
Emblematical Print on the South Sea Scheme".
William Hogarth's pictures combined social criticism with sequential artistic scenes. A frequent target of his satire was the corruption of early 18th century British politics. An early satirical work was an
Emblematical Print on the South Sea Scheme (), about the disastrous stock market crash of 1720 known as the
South Sea Bubble, in which many English people lost a great deal of money. His art often had a strong moralizing element to it, such as in his masterpiece of 1732–33, ''
A Rake's Progress'', engraved in 1734. It consisted of eight pictures that depicted the reckless life of Tom Rakewell, the son of a rich merchant, who spends all of his money on luxurious living, services from sex workers, and gambling—the character's life ultimately ends in
Bethlem Royal Hospital. However, his work was only tangentially politicized and was primarily regarded on its artistic merits.
George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend produced some of the first overtly political cartoons and caricatures in the 1750s.
Development The medium began to develop in England in the latter part of the 18th century—especially around the time of the
French Revolution—under the direction of its great exponents,
James Gillray and
Thomas Rowlandson, both from London. Gillray explored the use of the medium for lampooning and
caricature, and has been referred to as the father of the political cartoon. The times in which Gillray lived were peculiarly favourable to the growth of a great school of caricature. Party warfare was carried on with great vigour and not a little bitterness; and personalities were freely indulged in on both sides. Gillray's incomparable wit and humour, knowledge of life, fertility of resource, keen sense of the ludicrous, and beauty of execution, at once gave him the first place among caricaturists.
George Cruikshank became the leading cartoonist in the period following Gillray (1820s–40s). His early career was renowned for his social caricatures of English life for popular publications. He gained notoriety with his political prints that attacked the royal family and leading politicians and was bribed in 1820 "not to caricature His Majesty" (
George IV) "in any immoral situation". His work included a personification of England named
John Bull who was developed from about 1790 in conjunction with other British satirical artists such as Gillray and Rowlandson.
Cartoonist's magazines introduces Taft as his crown prince:
Puck magazine cover, 1906. and
Abraham Lincoln, 1865, entitled
The Rail Splitter at Work Repairing the Union. The caption reads: (Johnson): "Take it quietly Uncle Abe and I will draw it closer than ever!!" (Lincoln): "A few more stitches Andy and the good old Union will be mended!" The art of the editorial cartoon was further developed with the publication of the British periodical
Punch in 1841, founded by
Henry Mayhew and engraver
Ebenezer Landells (an earlier magazine that published cartoons was
Monthly Sheet of Caricatures, printed from 1830 and an important influence on
Punch). It was bought by
Bradbury and Evans in 1842, who capitalised on newly evolving mass printing technologies to turn the magazine into a preeminent national institution. The term
cartoon to refer to comic drawings was coined by the magazine in 1843; the Houses of Parliament were to be decorated with murals, and "carttons" for the mural were displayed for the public; the term
cartoon then meant a finished preliminary sketch on a large piece of cardboard, or in Italian.
Punch humorously appropriated the term to refer to its political cartoons, and the popularity of the
Punch cartoons led to the term's widespread use. Artists who published in
Punch during the 1840s and 50s included
John Leech,
Richard Doyle,
John Tenniel and
Charles Keene. This group became known as "The
Punch Brotherhood", which also included Charles Dickens who joined Bradbury and Evans after leaving
Chapman and Hall in 1843.
Punch authors and artists also contributed to another Bradbury and Evans literary magazine called
Once A Week (est.1859), created in response to Dickens' departure from
Household Words. The most prolific and influential cartoonist of the 1850s and 60s was
John Tenniel, chief cartoon artist for
Punch, who perfected the art of physical caricature and representation to a point that has changed little up to the present day. For over five decades he was a steadfast social witness to the sweeping national changes that occurred during this period alongside his fellow cartoonist
John Leech. The magazine loyally captured the general public mood; in 1857, following the
Indian Rebellion and the public outrage that followed,
Punch published vengeful illustrations such as Tenniel's
Justice and ''The British Lion's Vengeance on the Bengal Tiger''.
Maturation depicts the
Tweed Ring: "Who stole the people's money?" / "'Twas him." lecturing four children labeled
Philippines,
Hawaii,
Puerto Rico, and
Cuba. The caption reads: "School Begins. Uncle Sam (to his new class
in Civilization)!" (especially the
Panama Canal construction and control) led to the
separation of Panama from Colombia. . This cartoon depicts
Japanese Americans as a "
fifth column," lending support to Japan during its
war against the United States.
Bigotry against Japanese people was common among Americans at this time. By the mid-19th century, major political newspapers in many countries featured cartoons designed to express the publisher's opinion on the politics of the day. One of the most successful was
Thomas Nast in New York City, who imported realistic German drawing techniques to major political issues in the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Nast was most famous for his 160 editorial cartoons attacking the criminal characteristics of
Boss Tweed's political machine in New York City. American art historian
Albert Boime argues that: As a political cartoonist, Thomas Nast wielded more influence than any other artist of the 19th century. He not only enthralled a vast audience with boldness and wit, but swayed it time and again to his personal position on the strength of his visual imagination. Both Lincoln and Grant acknowledged his effectiveness in their behalf, and as a crusading civil reformer he helped destroy the corrupt Tweed Ring that swindled New York City of millions of dollars. Indeed, his impact on American public life was formidable enough to profoundly affect the outcome of every presidential election during the period 1864 to 1884. Notable editorial cartoons include
Benjamin Franklin's
Join, or Die (1754), on the need for unity in the American colonies;
The Thinkers Club (1819), a response to the surveillance and censorship of universities in Germany under the
Carlsbad Decrees; and
E. H. Shepard's
The Goose-Step (1936), on the
rearmament of Germany under
Adolf Hitler.
The Goose-Step is one of a number of notable cartoons first published in the British
Punch magazine. == Recognition ==