More Pigs Than Teats,–or–the New Litter of Hungry Grunters, Sucking John-Bull's-Old-Sow to Death
Original title: "More Pigs Than Teats",–or–the New Litter of Hungry Grunters, Sucking John-Bull's-Old-Sow to Death
kurzbeschreibung
A hand-coloured etching by James Gillray from 1806: a crowd of pigs jostles around a large mother sow and suckles from her, while a horrified farmer watches from a platform. The image is a parody of the political situation in early nineteenth-century Britain.
Description
Brightly coloured pigs press tightly around a big sow and feed from her. Behind them rises a farmhouse with a thatched roof; on its platform stands a figure with a spade, staring at the goings-on in disbelief. Earth tones dominate the palette, with single touches of colour on the pigs and the figure. The light falls evenly, without strong shadows or dramatic contrasts. The style is caricatural and humorous, with exaggerated expressions and animals drawn well beyond life.
Context
James Gillray was one of the leading British caricaturists of his day and worked for the publisher Hannah Humphrey. The etching appeared in March 1806, at a time of political upheaval in Britain, not least after the death of William Pitt the Younger. The title refers to John Bull, the national embodiment of England, and likely criticises the swelling number of pensioners and office-seekers bleeding the state dry. Gillray's prints hung in shop windows and so reached a wide public.
Impact
The overblown pigs and the grotesque situation are comic and accusatory at once. One smiles, yet recognises the satirical barb aimed at political abuses.
Technique
The colours were applied by hand after printing, hence the term hand-colouring. The sheet measures roughly 24.4 by 34.6 centimetres; it is a trimmed impression laid into a backing sheet.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)