Isaac Cruikshank (
bapt. 14 October 1764 1811) was a Scottish
painter
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...
and
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 ...
, known for his social and political
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...
.
Biography
Cruikshank was the son of Andrew Crookshanks ( 1725 c. 1783), a former customs inspector,
dispossessed for his role in the
Jacobite rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...
originally from
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, and Elizabeth Davidson (born 1725), the daughter of a gardener. He was born on 5 October 1764 in Edinburgh, where he was
baptised
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
on 14 October 1764. Isaac grew up in New North Kirk parish in Edinburgh after his family moved there. He was the youngest child, and was interested in all sorts of hobbies including sports and music. Isaac studied with a local artist, possibly John Kay (17421826).
In 1783, Cruikshank left Scotland to travel to London with his master.
There he married Mary MacNaughton (1769–1853) on 14 August 1788. The couple had five known children, two of whom died in infancy. A daughter, Margaret Eliza (18081825), a promising artist, died at the age of eighteen of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
. Their sons
Isaac Robert Cruikshank (17891856), and
George Cruikshank
George Cruikshank (27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reache ...
(17921878), also became artists.
![Friends of the People 1792 Cruikshank](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Friends_of_the_People_1792_Cruikshank.jpg)
Cruikshank's first known publications were etchings of Edinburgh "types", from 1784. His first caricature etching called ''Scotch Eloquence'' was of Edinburgh characters.
He produced illustrations for books about the theatre, did the frontispiece for ''Witticisms and Jests of Dr. Johnson'' (1791), and illustrated
George Shaw's extensive ''General Zoology'' (1800–26).
His water colours were exhibited, but in order to make a living, he found it more lucrative to produce prints and caricatures. He was responsive to the marketplace but firm in his dislikes of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and Britain's home-grown political radicals, including, for example, the members of the
London Corresponding Society
The London Corresponding Society (LCS) was a federation of local reading and debating clubs that in the decade following the French Revolution agitated for the democratic reform of the British Parliament. In contrast to other reform associati ...
and the
Society of the Friends of the People
The Society of the Friends of the People was an organisation in Great Britain that was focused on advocating for Parliamentary Reform. It was founded by the Whig Party in 1792.
The Society in England was aristocratic and exclusive, in contrast ...
. He and
James Gillray
James Gillray (13 August 1756Gillray, James and Draper Hill (1966). ''Fashionable contrasts''. Phaidon. p. 8.Baptism register for Fetter Lane (Moravian) confirms birth as 13 August 1756, baptism 17 August 1756 1June 1815) was a British caricatur ...
developed the figure of
John Bull
John Bull is a national personification of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter- ...
, the nationalistic representation of a solid British yeoman. His ''Olympic games or John Bull introducing his new ambassador to the grand consul'' and ''Boney at Brussells'' (both from 1803) contrast an implied European capitulation and British defiance under the threat of invasion.
Near the start of his fame in 1789, Cruikshank produced several watercolours adapted from his earlier drawings, and was on exhibition at the Royal Academy. Publisher John Roach was a friend and patron. Cruikshank later also worked with print dealer
S. W. Fores and Johnny Fairburn. He also collaborated with
G. M. Woodward, and later, with his son George. (See also
G.S. Tregear.) He also etched and designed lottery tickets and the song-heads of musical scores.
Cruikshank died of alcohol poisoning at the age of forty-six as a result of a drinking contest, of which he was declared the winner.
He is buried near his home in London.
Caricature prominence
![African woman slave trade](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/African_woman_slave_trade.jpg)
During the late 18th century, there was propaganda due to political turbulence in Europe, in particular the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
. The
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...
was being criticized for debauchery during this time, as it was a period of economic hardship and debt.
Political caricature and graphic satire became a prominent outlet for mass propaganda to express competing perspectives on political and economic issues. The revolution triggered feelings and expressions of patriotism towards artists' home countries which they depicted by shedding a grotesque light on their countries' enemies.
Isaac Cruikshank, James Gillray, and
Thomas Rowlandson
Thomas Rowlandson (; 13 July 175721 April 1827) was an English artist and caricaturist of the Georgian Era, noted for his political satire and social observation. A prolific artist and printmaker, Rowlandson produced both individual social an ...
were considered the leading caricaturists during this period, and they produced many popular sketches and graphics satirizing contemporary issues. These three prominent artists' distinct styles and subject matter became notable and widespread throughout Europe, although they also adapted and borrowed images from lesser-known artists. The three illustrators were sometimes considered rivals as their ideas often took opposing positions on important matters, despite sometimes collaborating on works. A common theme in all three artists' works was the portrayal of gluttony and cannibalism meant to represent the exploitation of the people by the monarchy, sparked by the effects on the economy of France of the Revolution.
Their work, however, had to be published exclusively in Britain, as in France censorship laws were at an all-time high.
In 1803 after the France declared war on Britain, numerous patriotic prints resulted focused around support and strength for the British homefront. Cruikshank was one of the first to illustrate Napoleon as a negative caricature in his work ''Buonaparte at Rome Giving Audience in State'' (1797). In 1809, Cruikshank created ''French Generals Receiving an English Charge'' which largely attacked
Prince Frederick, Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (Frederick Augustus; 16 August 1763 – 5 January 1827) was the second son of George III, King of the United Kingdom and Hanover, and his consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A soldier by profess ...
for his scandalous affairs with
Mary Anne Clarke
Mary Anne Clarke (born Mary Anne Thompson; 3 April 1776 – 21 June 1852) was the mistress of Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany., retrieved 24 November 2018 Their relationship began in 1803, while he was Commander-in-Chief of the arm ...
during the time.
Legacy
A contemporary of
James Gillray
James Gillray (13 August 1756Gillray, James and Draper Hill (1966). ''Fashionable contrasts''. Phaidon. p. 8.Baptism register for Fetter Lane (Moravian) confirms birth as 13 August 1756, baptism 17 August 1756 1June 1815) was a British caricatur ...
and
Thomas Rowlandson
Thomas Rowlandson (; 13 July 175721 April 1827) was an English artist and caricaturist of the Georgian Era, noted for his political satire and social observation. A prolific artist and printmaker, Rowlandson produced both individual social an ...
, Cruikshank was part of what has been called "the Golden Age of British Caricature." Some have called his work "uneven"
[Robert L. Patten,]
Cruikshank , Isaac (1764–1811),"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. (Oxford: OUP, 2004. 11 May 2007.) but at its best, it provided a vivid insight into the cultural and political preoccupations of the British during the decades at the turn of the nineteenth century. He was an avid and skilled water colourist, and had a "keen sense of humour", although his achievements during his shortened life suffered from the greater successes and "more prolonged career of his gifted son."
There are believed to be at least 345 prints created by Isaac Cruikshank between 1793 and 1800 that are in the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
's collection. E.B. Crumbier created a catalogue of around 1350 images that Cruikshank produced in his lifetime.
In the
Huntington Library
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington (1850–1927) and Arabella Huntington (c.1851–1924) in San Ma ...
, California, there is also a collection of his watercolour drawings.
Cruikshank, like his son
Isaac Robert Cruikshank and more famous son
George Cruikshank
George Cruikshank (27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reache ...
, was a pioneer in the
history of comics
The history of comics has followed different paths in different parts of the world. It can be traced back to early precursors such as Trajan's Column, in Rome, Egyptian hieroglyphs and the Bayeux Tapestry.
Early narratives in art
Examples o ...
through creating several cartoons which make use of narrative sequences and/or
speech balloons.
Examples of his work
File:1799-Belvoir-Castle-houseparty-Isaac-Cruikshank.jpg, "The Humours of Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle ( ) is a faux historic castle and stately home in Leicestershire, England, situated west of the town of Grantham and northeast of Melton Mowbray. The Castle was first built immediately after the Norman Conquest of 1066 an ...
-- or the Morning After", a 1 March 1799 English caricature engraving showing the aftermath of a night of upper-class debauchery
Debauchery may refer to:
* Corruption
*Libertinism
*Lust
* Binge drinking
* Currency debasement
*Debauchery (band), a German death metal band
See also
*''Sodom, or the Quintessence of Debauchery'', a 1684 closet drama.
*LGBT rights in Kuwait
...
at a large country mansion, marking the celebration of the owner's coming of age.
File:Indecency2.jpg, "Indecency", Published in London by S.W. Fores, 16 April 1799.
References
Sources
*
*
*
Further reading
*The British Museum, the Huntington Library in California, and The Houghton Library at Harvard University all have significant holdings of Cruikshank's work.
*George, Mary Dorothy. ''Hogarth to Cruikshank: Social Change in Graphic Satire''. 1967.
*Nygren, Edward J., ed. ''Isaac Cruikshank and the Politics of Parody: Watercolors in the Huntington Collection''. University of California Press, 2005. ;
*Patten, Robert L..
Cruikshank , Isaac (1764–1811)."''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: OUP, 2004. 11 May 2007.
External links
Cruikshank's work at the National Portrait GalleryConnected Histories: British History Sources, 1500-1900This Jisc-funded web service provides federated searching of online historical resources for research. The web link provides access to primary sources which refer to Isaac Cruikshank.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruikshank, Isaac
Scottish illustrators
Scottish editorial cartoonists
Scottish caricaturists
Scottish comics artists
Scottish satirists
Scottish male painters
Artists from Edinburgh
1764 births
1811 deaths
Alcohol-related deaths in England