HAS HE GOT SATIRE FOR YOU?
FANCY a bit of satire? The master himself, TV personality, writer and journalist Ian Hislop – alongside British Museum curator Tom Hockenhull – are launching a new exhibition of satirical prints.
The golden age of satire? Late-Georgian satirical prints, is on display at Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire from this Saturday until Sunday, October 6.
Ian has carved a successful career as editor of Private Eye magazine, panellist on Have I Got News For You? and as co-curator of the recent British Museum’s major Citi exhibition I Object: Ian Hislop’s Search For Dissent.
Together Tom Hockenhull, Ian has selected nine of his favourite British satirical prints by Gillray and Cruikshank, among others, which will go on display in this British Museum Spotlight Loan.
The first modern political caricatures were invented in Britain during the 18th century, often referred to as the “golden age” of satire. Rude, crude and funny – echoing Lord Byron’s own humour and political attacks at the time – the works in this exhibition were at the cutting edge of 18th-century satire, shaping contemporary views of the Georgian monarchy. Laughter, it transpires, really is the best medicine, ruthlessly exposing society’s injustices and holding a mirror to the worst excesses of its ruling elite.
Highlights include James Gillray’s muchimitated Fashionable Contrasts (1792), an outrageously provocative satire that summons thoughts of the utmost vulgarity, entirely through the size and angle of two pairs of shoes. A generation later, in 1812, George Cruikshank depicted the Prince of “Whales” as a bloated cetacean wallowing in the “sea of politics”.
Tom Hockenhull said: “Taking these satirical prints to Newstead Abbey is a wonderful way to get more people to see these clever subversions across the UK. This Spotlight Loan provides a fascinating insight into the viciously funny sense of humour of some of the artists of the period, and enriches our understanding of the public perception of the Georgian monarchy.”
Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council portfolio holder for leisure and culture, added: “This is a great opportunity for people to see these caricatures in the beautiful setting of Lord Byron’s ancestral home. I am sure the poet, with his own wicked sense of humour, would approve of the mischievous nature of these prints.”