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George Cruikshank (27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British
caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfred Grévin (1827–1892) * Al ...
and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reached an international audience.


Early life

Cruikshank was born in London. His father, Edinburgh-born Isaac Cruikshank, was one of the leading caricaturists of the late 1790s and Cruikshank started his career as his father's apprentice and assistant. His older brother, Isaac Robert, also followed in the family business as a caricaturist and illustrator. Cruikshank's early work was caricature; but in 1823, at the age of 31, he started to focus on book illustration. He illustrated the first, 1823 English translation (by Edgar Taylor and David Jardine) of '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'', published in two volumes as ''German Popular Stories''. On 16 October 1827, he married Mary Ann Walker (1807–1849). Two years after her death, on 7 March 1851, he married Eliza Widdison. The two lived at 263 Hampstead Road, North London. Cruikshank had fathered 11 illegitimate children with a mistress named Adelaide Attree, his former servant, who lived close to where he lived with his wife. Adelaide was ostensibly married and had taken the married surname 'Archibold'.


Sociopolitical caricatures and illustrations

Cruikshank's early career was renowned for his social caricatures of English life for popular publications. He achieved early success collaborating with
William Hone William Hone (3 June 1780 – 8 November 1842) was an English writer, satirist and bookseller. His victorious court battle against government censorship in 1817 marked a turning point in the fight for British press freedom. Biography Hon ...
in his political satire ''The Political House That Jack Built'' (1819). In the same year he produced the now-infamous anti-abolitionist piece ''The New Union Club''. It satirised a dinner party organised by abolitionists with black guests. While this piece was praised as "the finest of G.C.’s caricatures" during the 19th century, it is now viewed as one of the most racist prints of its era. His 1819 print, ''The Belle Alliance, or the Female Reformers of Blackburn!!!,'' criticised the role of women in the reform movement, portraying them as unfeminine and grotesque.His first major work was '' Pierce Egan's Life in London'' (1821) in which the characters Tom and Jerry, two 'men about town' visit various London locations and taverns to enjoy themselves and carouse. This was followed by ''The Comic Almanack'' (1835–1853) and ''Omnibus'' (1842). Cruikshank gained notoriety with his political prints that attacked the royal family and leading politicians. In 1820 he received a royal bribe of £100 for a pledge "not to caricature His Majesty" ( George IV of the United Kingdom) "in any immoral situation". His work included a personification of England named John Bull who was developed from about 1790 in conjunction with other British satirical artists such as James Gillray, and Thomas Rowlandson. Cruikshank replaced one of his major influences, James Gillray, as England's most popular satirist. For a generation he delineated Tories, Whigs and Radicals impartially. Satirical material came to him from every public event – wars abroad, the enemies of Britain (he was highly patriotic), the frolic, among other qualities, such as the weird and terrible, in which he excelled. His hostility to enemies of Britain and a crude racism is evident in his illustrations commissioned to accompany William Maxwell's ''History of the Irish rebellion in 1798'' (1845) where his lurid depictions of incidents in the rebellion were characterised by the simian-like portrayal of Irish rebels. Among the other racially engaged works of Cruikshank there were caricatures about the "legal barbarities" of the Chinese, the subject given by his friend, Dr. W. Gourley, a participant in the ideological battle around the
Arrow War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Sino War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a colonial war lasting from 1856 to 1860, which pitted the British Empire#Britain's imperial ...
, 1856–60.


Charles Dickens

For Charles Dickens, Cruikshank illustrated '' Sketches by Boz'' (1836), '' The Mudfog Papers'' (1837–38) and '' Oliver Twist'' (1838). He also illustrated ''
Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi ''Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi'' is the 1838 autobiography of the pioneering nineteenth-century clown Joseph Grimaldi. It was edited by Charles Dickens who as a seven-year-old had first seen Grimaldi perform. References Notes * Charles Dickens, ...
'' (1838), which Dickens edited under his regular , "Boz". Cruikshank even acted in Dickens's amateur theatrical company. On 30 December 1871 Cruikshank published a letter in '' The Times'' which claimed credit for much of the plot of ''Oliver Twist''. The letter launched a fierce controversy around who created the work. Cruikshank was not the first Dickens illustrator to make such a claim. Robert Seymour who illustrated the '' Pickwick Papers'' suggested that the idea for that novel was originally his; however, in his preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens strenuously denied any specific input. The friendship between Cruikshank and Dickens soured further when Cruikshank became a fanatical teetotaler in opposition to Dickens's views of moderation. In Somerset Maugham's short story "Miss King", Cruickshank's influence is referenced


Temperance and the Volunteers

In the late 1840s, Cruikshank's focus shifted from book illustration to an emphasis on alcohol temperance and
anti-smoking Tobacco control is a field of international public health science, policy and practice dedicated to addressing tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes. Since most cigarettes and cigars and hookahs contain/use to ...
. Formerly a heavy drinker, he now supported, lectured to, and supplied illustrations for the
National Temperance Society The National Temperance Society and Publishing House was a publishing house which advocated personal alcohol temperance and a governmental ban on the personal consumption of alcohol. It was based in New York City. Foundation It was founded in 1 ...
and the Total Abstinence Society, among others. The best known of these are ''
The Bottle "The Bottle" is a song by American soul artist Gil Scott-Heron and musician Brian Jackson, released in 1974 on Strata-East Records in the United States. It was later reissued during the mid-1980s on Champagne Records in the United Kingdom. "The ...
'', 8 plates (1847), with its sequel, ''The Drunkard's Children'', 8 plates (1848), with the ambitious work, ''The Worship of Bacchus'', published by subscription after the artist's oil painting, now in the
Tate Gallery, London Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the ...
. For his efforts he was made vice president of the
National Temperance League The Anti-Saloon League (now known as the ''American Council on Addiction and Alcohol Problems'') is an organization of the temperance movement that lobbied for prohibition in the United States in the early 20th century. Founded in 1893 in Oberl ...
in 1856. When the invasion scare of 1859 led to the creation of the Volunteer Movement, Cruikshank was one of those who organised Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs). At first his unit was the 24th Surrey RVC, which recruited from working men who were total abstainers and was named 'Havelock's Own' in honour of Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, a hero of the Indian Mutiny and pioneer of Temperance Clubs in the army. However, Cruikshank received little encouragement from the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, and was rebuked for crossing into Kent to recruit. Disgusted, he disbanded his unit in 1862 and began anew in Middlesex, organising the 48th Middlesex RVC (Havelock's Temperance Volunteers). The unit ran into financial difficulties and when Cruikshank was forced to retire due to age, he was replaced as commanding officer by Lt-Col Cuthbert Vickers, a wealthy shipowner. However, the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette of 3 September 1868 reported that Cruikshank had resigned as Lieutenant-Colonel of the Volunteers "in consequence, it is said, of the reinstatement in the service of certain officers of his corps who some time since had a difference with their Lieutenant-Colonel and were cashiered". The 48th Middlesex merged with the 2nd City of London RVC, also a working-men's unit, composed mainly of printers from the Fleet Street area, and the combined unit had a long history as the City of London Rifles.


Later years

After he developed palsy in later life, Cruikshank's health and work began to decline in quality. He died on 1 February 1878 and was originally buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. In November 1878 his remains were exhumed and reburied in
St. Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gra ...
. ''Punch'' magazine, which presumably did not know of his large illegitimate family, said in its obituary: "There never was a purer, simpler, more straightforward or altogether more blameless man. His nature had something childlike in its transparency." In his lifetime he created nearly 10,000 prints, illustrations, and plates. There are collections of his works in the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. A Royal Society of Arts blue plaque commemorates Cruikshank at 293 Hampstead Road in Camden Town.


Samples of his work

'' The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'' File:George Cruikshank - Tristram Shandy, Plate I. The Effects of Trim's Eloquence.jpg, Plate I File:George Cruikshank - Tristram Shandy, Plate II. Obadiah leading in Dr. Slop.jpg, Plate II File:George Cruikshank - Tristram Shandy, Plate III. The Jack-boots transformed into Mortars.jpg, Plate III File:George Cruikshank - Tristram Shandy, Plate IV. The long-nosed Stranger of Strasburg.jpg, Plate IV File:George Cruikshank - Tristram Shandy, Plate V. My Uncle Toby on his Hobby-horse.jpg, Plate V File:George Cruikshank - Tristram Shandy, Plate VI. Trim's relation of Tristram's misfortune.jpg, Plate VI File:George Cruikshank - Tristram Shandy, Plate VII. The Quarrel of Slop and Susannah.jpg, Plate VII File:George Cruikshank - Tristram Shandy, Plate VIII. The Smoking Batteries.jpg, Plate VIII Others File:Jacco1.jpg,
Jacco Macacco Jacco Macacco was a fighting ape or monkey who was exhibited in monkey-baiting matches at the Westminster Pit in London in the early 1820s. He achieved some measure of fame among the sporting community through his reputed prodigious record of vi ...
at the
Westminster-Pit The Westminster Pit was a well-known blood sport arena in nineteenth-century London, England. It reached a zenith of popularity between 1820 and 1830, and hosted such spectacles as dog-fighting, cock-fighting, bear-baiting, badger-baiting, monk ...
''
1821. File:1819 Prince Regent G Cruikshank caricature.png, An unflattering 1819 caricature of the Prince Regent illustrating "The Political House that Jack Built" by
William Hone William Hone (3 June 1780 – 8 November 1842) was an English writer, satirist and bookseller. His victorious court battle against government censorship in 1817 marked a turning point in the fight for British press freedom. Biography Hon ...
. File:1850-g-cruikshank-crinoline-parody.png, ''A Splendid Spread'', early satire on the
crinoline A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which w ...
from ''The Comic Almanack'' for 1850. File:Cruikshank-Self-Portrait-1858.jpg, George Cruikshank, ''Self-Portrait''. File:Victorian engraving of George Cruikshank.jpg, Engraving of George Cruikshank File:Cruikshank-dandies.jpg, ''Humming-birds—or—a Dandy Trio''. 1819. File:Monstrosities-of-1818-Cruikshank.jpg, ''Monstrosities of 1818'', extravagant clothing styles of men's and women's fashions. File:Loo in the Kitchen.jpg, A group of servants gathered in a kitchen, ape the manners of their employers. File:The old maid and her tom cat LCCN2006688809.jpg, Caricature of the Old Bailey File:Spectacles-op.jpg, Caricature concerning the prices at the Covent Garden Theatre File:British valour.jpg, 1813 Caricature showing the Americans as cowardly in face of the British. File:Cruikshank - Snuffing out Boney.png, ''Snuffing out Boney'', 1814 File:1841 december 280.jpg, ''December – A Swallow at Christmas (Rara avis in terris).''


References


Further reading

* Evans, Hilary and Mary. ''The Man Who Drew the Drunkard's Daughter: Life and Art of George Cruikshank, 1792-1878''. (London: Frederick Muller, 1978). * Cruikshank, George. ''Graphic Works of George Cruikshank'' (New York: Dover Publications, 1980) * George, Mary Dorothy. ''Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires Preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum'', vol. VI (1938), vol. VII (1942), vol. VIII (1947), vol. IX (1949). * Bryant and Heneage. ''Dictionary of British Cartoonists and caricaturists 1730–1980'' (Scolar Press, 1994). * Buchanan-Brown, John. ''The Book Illustrations of George Cruikshank'' Charles Tuttle 1980 * Cohn, Albert M. "George Cruikshank: A Catalogue Raisonne of the Work Executed During the Years 1896–1977", ''Bookmans journal'' (London, 1924). * ''Bates, William. George Cruikshank: The Artist, the Humourist, and the Man, with Some Account of his Brother Robert. A Critico-bibliographical Essay'' (Amsterdam: Emmering, 1972) * Price, Chris. "'Pictorially Speaking, so Ludicrous': George IV on the Dance Floor", ''Music in Art: International Journal for Music Iconography'' XLIII/1-2 (2018), 49–65.


External links


SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages: Fairy Tale Illustrations of George Cruikshank

George Cruikshank cartoons at CartoonStock
(Commercial site)
Online Gallery of Illustrations by George Cruikshank

George Cruikshank letters, 1845 and 1868
from the Woodson Research Center at Rice University
Patten Research Material on George Cruikshank
from the Woodson Research Center at Rice University * * *
Works by George Cruikshank on Flickr Commons


at
Comiclopedia Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ), though since 2007, his son Boris Kousemaker is the current owner. From 1968 to 2015, it was located ...

Guide to the George Cruikshank Etchings.
Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cruikshank, George 1792 births 1878 deaths English people of Scottish descent 19th-century engravers British engravers Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Burials at St Paul's Cathedral Charles Dickens English caricaturists English cartoonists English illustrators English satirists Artists from London