Cockney and His Wife Going to Wycombe
published June 10, 1805
Medium
Hand-colored etching and aquatint on paper
Dimensions
Image: 24 × 36 cm (9 1/2 × 14 3/16 in.); Plate: 26.5 × 37.5 cm (10 7/16 × 14 13/16 in.); Sheet: 28.2 × 40 cm (11 1/8 × 15 3/4 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
61473
Art Historical Context
James Gillray's *Cockney and His Wife to Wycombe*, published June 10, 1805, is a vibrant example of early 19th-century British caricature. As one of the era's most celebrated satirists, Gillray delighted (and scandalized) audiences with his-witted prints, often targeting social pretensions, politics, and fashion during the Napoleonic Wars. hand-colored etching and aquatint paper—measuring about 24 × 36 cm—captures the artist's mastery in poking fun at everyday life, here focusing on a working-class London "Cockney" couple venturing to High Wycombe, a popular outing spot. The medium's signific...