Henry William Bunbury (1 July 1750 – 7 May 1811) was an English

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) * Alf ...

. The second son of Sir William Bunbury, 5th Baronet (see Bunbury baronets), of

Mildenhall, Suffolk Mildenhall is a market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. The town is near the A11 and is located north-west of Ipswich, the county town.Ordnance Survey (2006). ''OS Explorer Map 226 - Ely & Newmarket''. . The large Royal Air Force stati ...

, he came of an old

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family. He was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and soon showed a talent for drawing, especially for humorous subjects. He temporarily left Cambridge to embark on a tour of Europe, during which time he may have studied in Rome; he returned to school in 1771 but is not known to have completed a degree. His European travels inspired a series of caricatures mocking foreigners, notably his ''La cuisine de la poste'', exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1770. His more serious efforts were no great success, but his caricatures are as famous as those of his contemporaries

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 ...

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 ...

, good examples being his ''Country Club'' (1788), ''Barber's Shop'' (1803) and ''A Long Story'' (1782). He was a popular character, and the friend of most of the notabilities of his day, whom he never offended by attempting political satire; his easy circumstances and social position (he was colonel of the West Suffolk Militia, and was appointed equerry to the

Duke of York and Albany Duke of York and Albany was a title of nobility in the Peerage of Great Britain. The title was created three times during the 18th century and was usually given to the second son of British monarchs. The predecessor titles in the English and Sc ...

in 1787) allowed him leisure to practise his talents. The ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' describes his ''A Long Minuet as Danced at Bath'' as the most successful of his lifetime, using an "innovative story-telling" format that is considered a forerunner to the comic strip. His caricatures were regularly reissued, even as he turned his attention to other subjects: he finished half of a commissioned set of 48 drawings of Shakespearean works before abandoning the series in 1796, and after the death of his wife and eldest son he took up oil painting. In August 1771 he married Catherine, eldest daughter of

Kane William Horneck Kane William Horneck (1726–1753) was an officer in the Royal Engineers. Life He was a son of William Horneck and a grandson of Anthony Horneck. He married Hannah Muggles (1727–1803) from Devon and they had issue: *Catherine (1750–1799); ...

and his wife Hannah Muggles. Bunbury and Catherine's second son

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

succeeded to the

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

Gallery

File:Henry Bunbury - A Soiree - B1986.29.334 - Yale Center for British Art.jpg, alt=, ''A Soiree'', watercolor, pen and black ink on medium, cream wove paper,

Yale Center for British Art Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the worl ...

File:Henry Bunbury - The Battle of the Cataplasm - B1977.14.11192 - Yale Center for British Art.jpg, alt=, ''The Battle of the Cataplasm'', hand-colored etching on cream wove paper, Yale Center of British Art File:Dick and Smith seize Chatham (Bunbury).jpg, alt=, ''A Barber's Shop'', copperplate engraving, 1803 File:A barbers shop in assize time by Henry William Bunbury.jpg, alt=, ''A Barbers Shop in Assize Time'', hand-coloured etching and stipple engraving, 1818, National Portrait Gallery, London

References

Sources

External links

National Portrait Gallery: Henry William Bunbury
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20170629115616/http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/sebc/visit/paintings-prints.cfm Bunbury prints within the collection of St. Edmundsbury Heritage Servicebr>Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Art Database
British illustrators English caricaturists English illustrators Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge People educated at Westminster School, London 1750 births 1811 deaths {{UK-illustrator-stub