Cartoonists 18th century
Charles D'Oyly was a British public official and painter from Dacca (now Dhaka). He was a member of the Bengal Civil Service based in Calcutta, Dacca and Patna from 1797 to 1838. Although he held senior positions with the East India Company's civil service, he is best known as an amateur artist who published many books featuring engravings and lithographs featuring Indian subject matter.
Romeyn de Hooghe was a Dutch painter, sculptor, engraver and caricaturist of the late Baroque period, writer and philosopher.
Hooghe became famous for his political caricatures of King Louis XIV of France and propaganda pamphlets in support of William of Orange. He portrayed the war against the French monarch and his allies as a struggle between freedom and religious despotism.
Romeyn de Hooghe was a superb engraver and created over 3,500 engravings during his lifetime. His most important work is Hieroglyphica of Merkbeelden der oude volkeren (Hieroglyphics or Symbols of the Ancient Peoples), where he appeared not only as a consummate master of engraving, but also as a historian, talented writer and philosopher. This book has long been regarded in Europe as one of the most authoritative sources on classical mythology. It contains 64 engravings illustrating all stages of the narrative of myths, ancient cults and beliefs, and the interpretation of scripture, a guide to medieval Europe.
Romeyn de Hooghe also illustrated books and painted large panels. During his lifetime he was widely recognized as a painter and sculptor not only in his own country but also in other European countries.
Philibert-Louis Debucourt was a French painter, caricaturist and engraver.
Debucourt was a specialist in color printing techniques and worked mainly with aquatint. He made engravings based on his own paintings as well as those of Charles Vernet, Louis-Leopold Boileau, and Nicolas-Toussaint Charlet.
Debucourt also competed in wit with British cartoonists who were active when revolutions were raging in Europe. Debucourt depicted people admiring each other in the gardens of the Palais Royale as Paris prepared for carnage. During the Napoleonic period, French political caricature was in its infancy, and Debucourt merely mocked French manners and morals by painting satirical portraits.
Franz Feyerabend was a Swiss painter and cartoonist.
Franz Feyerabend came from a family of artists - the landscape painters Augustin and Samuel Feyerabend were his brothers. He painted portraits and landscapes, as well as sketches and caricatures for print publications. Feyerabend's most valuable work is a set of 26 plates depicting Swiss military costumes.
James Gillray was a British artist and caricaturist.
James Gillray was the most popular caricaturist of the second half of the 18th century. From about 1775 to 1810, he created about 1,000 political and social caricatures, often violent and even obscene. These include finished portrait drawings of the rich and famous, comic caricatures of bumbling people, and satirical caricatures of British political and social life during the Napoleonic era.
James Gillray's political cartoons are a historical record of the latter part of George III's reign. They were widely circulated in Britain and Europe and were produced as pamphlets. They sharply ridicule George III, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, Charles James Fox, Edmund Burke, William Pitt and Napoleon.
Aleksander Orłowski (Russian: Александр Осипович Орловский), a renowned Polish painter and sketch artist, was born on March 9, 1777, in Warsaw, within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. His journey into the arts began under challenging circumstances; he was the son of a tavern-keeper and his family was not wealthy. His early promise in art was nurtured by noble patron Izabela Czartoryska, who financed his initial education under the guidance of artist Jan Piotr Norblin.
Orłowski's artistic journey intersected with his military service during the Kościuszko Uprising, a major revolt against Imperial Russia and Prussia in 1794. This period of conflict significantly influenced his later works, which often depicted military scenes and the daily life of soldiers. After the partitions of Poland, Orłowski moved to Saint Petersburg in 1802, where he became a seminal figure in the development of lithography in the Russian Empire.
His oeuvre includes a wide array of subjects, from battle scenes to cultural depictions of everyday life in both Poland and Russia. Notable works such as "Battle Scene" and "Cossack Fighting Off A Tiger" showcase his skill in capturing dynamic movement and drama. His works are preserved in esteemed institutions such as The Russian Museum and The Tretyakov Gallery, highlighting their historical and artistic value.
Orłowski's impact extended beyond the canvas; he was also mentioned in literary works by notable authors like Adam Mickiewicz and Alexander Pushkin, which underscores his cultural significance in the 19th century.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Aleksander Orłowski's works represent a crucial segment of Eastern European art history. To stay informed about new discoveries or auction events related to his works, consider subscribing for updates. This subscription ensures you receive timely information tailored to your interests, directly relating to new sales and significant events around Orłowski's art.
Thomas Rowlandson was an English artist and caricaturist of the Georgian Era, noted for his political satire and social observation. A prolific artist and printmaker, Rowlandson produced both individual social and political satires, as well as a large number of illustrations for novels, humorous books, and topographical works. Like other caricaturists of his age such as James Gillray, his caricatures are often robust or bawdy. Rowlandson also produced highly explicit erotica for a private clientele; this was never published publicly at the time and is now only found in a small number of collections. His caricatures included those of people in power such as the Duchess of Devonshire, William Pitt the Younger and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Charles Lorraine Smith or Charles Loraine was a British artist, politician and sportsman.
Lorraine was an avid horseman, an excellent hunter and an amateur painter at the same time. Contemporaries wrote that his paintings were the result of a happy combination of his hunting experience and artistic talent. Indeed, his works depicting hunting scenes and horses were very successful. Lorraine also drew caricatures mocking some of the customs of hunters, such as when they smoke while fox hunting.
Charles Lorraine Smith was a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Leicestershire.
Wolfgang-Adam Töpffer was a Swiss and French painter, printmaker, caricaturist, and draftsman.
He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and painted landscapes and portraits. Later he became interested in plein air landscapes and excelled in this art. Töpffer is also known as a talented draughtsman and political cartoonist. His son Rudolf Töpffer also became a caricaturist.
Stefano Torelli was an Italian painter, born in 1712 in Bologna. Renowned for his mastery in the Rococo style, Torelli initially trained under his father, Felice Torelli, and later under Francesco Solimena. His career flourished after being invited by Augustus III, the future King of Poland, to Dresden in 1740. There, he contributed significantly to decorating the royal palaces with altar-pieces, ceiling paintings, and collaborating with artists like Canaletto on views of Dresden.
Torelli's notable works include the "Portrait of Empress Catherine II" and the "Coronation of Catherine II", both reflecting his keen ability to blend opulence with intricate detail, a hallmark of the Rococo period. These works are celebrated for their artistic merit and are held in high esteem at institutions like The Russian Museum and The Tretyakov Gallery.
After his time in Dresden, Torelli was summoned to Russia in 1762, where he became a significant figure at the Russian court. His Russian period was marked by extensive contributions to palace decorations and portraits of royalty and nobility, enhancing his reputation and influence in the art world of his time.
For collectors and experts interested in Stefano Torelli's works, his paintings can be viewed at major museums, and reproductions are available for those wishing to own a piece inspired by his artistry. For updates on exhibitions and sales related to Stefano Torelli's works, signing up for dedicated newsletters can be a valuable resource.
Franz Sigmund von Wagner was a Swiss painter, caricaturist, engraver and historian.
Wagner contributed to art magazines, traded in art, was a member of the Bern Society of Artists, and assisted the government of Bern in building a collection of paintings, the foundation of which he laid. Wagner, who was fascinated by the history of the Swiss Confederation and Old Bern, was a member of the Bern Society for the Study of History, founded in 1811, and wrote historical studies.
Sigmund Wagner is also known for his aptly critical caricatures on social topics.
James Brydges Willyams was a British artist, draughtsman and satirical writer.
Lt. Colonel Williams is known for his moralizing work A Compendious Treatise on Modern Education, in which he mocks the ills of modern society, from child hoodlums and teenage drunks, careless nannies to university students and professors. Williams signed his texts and drawings with the pseudonym Joel McCringer. And the artist Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827), who printed the engravings from Williams's drawings, infused the figures with his characteristic elegance.
George Murgatroyd Woodward, nicknamed Mustard George, was a British cartoonist and satirical writer.
His caricatures were printed in humor magazines and published as prints. Woodward mocked both newfangled trends, human vices, including drunkenness, and politicians, as well as illustrating and decorating books.
Benjamin Zix was a French painter, engraver, and illustrator.
He is known for accompanying Napoleon's military campaign, producing many battlefield drawings. Zix also painted portraits, mythological scenes, allegories, landscapes, and caricatures.