Spanish Patriots Attacking the French Banditti – Loyal Britons Lending a Lift
1808
Medium
Pen and gray and brown ink, brush and colored washes
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 1/2 × 18 5/8 in. (29.2 × 47.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2015
Accession Number
2015.455
Tags
Art Historical Context
James Gillray's *Spanish Patriots Attacking the French Banditti – Loyalons Lending a Lift*1808) is a vivid caricature from the height of the Napoleonic Wars. Created with pen and gray and brown ink, brush and colored washes on a sheet measuring 11½ × 18⅝ inches, this drawing exemplifies Gillray's mastery of satirical illustration. As one of Britain's foremost political cartoonists, Gillray used sharp wit and exaggeration to comment on contemporary events, blending fine draftsmanship with biting humor. The work captures the fervor of the Peninsular War, sparked by Spain's 1808 uprising against...