Playing in Parts
published May 15, 1801
Medium
Hand-colored etching and aquatint on paper
Dimensions
Image: 25.2 × 35.5 cm (9 15/16 × 14 in.); Plate: 25.5 × 36 cm (10 1/16 × 14 3/16 in.); Sheet: 28.8 × 39.5 cm (11 3/8 × 15 9/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
61482
Art Historical Context
**Playing in Parts** is a vibrant hand-colored etching and aquatint James Gillray, the preeminent British caricaturist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, published on May 15, 1801. Measuring about 25 x 35 cm, this print exemplifies Gillray's mastery of satirical art during the turbulent Napoleonic era, when his biting commentary on politicians, royalty, and social follies captivated London audiences. Housed in Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, it reflects the golden age of British caricature, where prints like this were affordable, widely circulated pamphlets o...