The Pigs Possessed:–or–the Broad Bottom'd Litter Running Headlong into Ye Sea of Perdition
Original title: The Pigs Possessed:–or–the Broad Bottom'd Litter Running Headlong into Ye Sea of Perdition
kurzbeschreibung
A man on a cliff, stick raised, drives a herd of pigs headlong into the sea. James Gillray's 1807 etching dresses the animals in human clothes and human faces, giving the scene a clearly political meaning.
Description
On the right, a pack of pigs surges in panic toward the water, some with human faces and hats, others with real pig heads, and leaps into the churning sea. At upper left on the rock stands a shouting man, pointing with his stick at the fugitives. Trees, a house and a speech bubble with his words fill the background. Strong colors and bright light wash over the whole sheet.
Context
Gillray drew this sheet in April 1807 as a contribution to the political disputes of his time in Britain. The caricature takes up quarrels about the government and the forces of opposition, which appear here as pigs. The artist was known for merciless mockery of politicians and social ills.
Impact
Ridiculous and disturbing at once, the humanized pigs create the sheet's tension. The dynamic layout and garish tones heighten the satirical appeal and prompt the viewer to decode the political message.
Technique
For this hand-colored etching, the lines were etched into a copper plate and the result then painted with watercolors. Fine drawn lines meet bold areas of color, characteristic of Gillray's working method and his figure-rich caricatures.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)