Gillray's Works
© Trustees of the British Museum
Collections
The British Museum/Library collection of Gillray's prints and drawings is still the largest and most comprehensive in the world. And thanks to the work of M. Dorothy George, it is also the best documented. But as more universities and museums begin to recognize and appreciate the historical and cultural value of 18th century prints and drawings, collections of Gillray are becoming better known and more of them are starting to become available either wholly or partially online.
In the table below, I list the collections of which I am aware, the numbers of prints and drawings they appear to have, and the current status (except where noted, as of May, 2015) of their online access. When counting prints, I have NOT included copies of the same print in different states or with different colors. As with everything else in this unofficial site, the information is only as good as my poor efforts have made it. I welcome any feedback to correct my errors of omission or commission.
I have included the Bohn/Wright edition of The Works of James Gillray in my list as a convenient point of reference because 1) it is reasonably comprehensive, including in most cases 582 plates plus 45 plates that were suppressed because their content was considered too racy for Victorian tastes, 2) because one can find a copy in some public and many university libraries, and 3) because, even in this digital age, it is still a very good way to see Gillray en masse.
| Collection | Drawings | Prints | Online Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bohn/Wright | 0 | 627 | Printed Edition. Because the copies are all uncolored, one can more easily examine the etching and engraving techniques. |
| British Museum | 300 | 951 | The most comprehensive collection of Gillray's drawings and prints. From what I can tell, about 300 drawings have been
catalogued; about 50 of them have been digitized (as of 12/17/2015).
Most of the non-digitized images were originally attributed to Philip James de Loutherbourg, and were
created in 1793 when Gillray accompanied de Loutherbourg on a trip to Belgium and France to gather
material for de Loutherbourg's painting of the Siege of Valenciennes. About 12 appear to be
preparatory studies for existing prints. The 951 prints are all digitized, and many are available in multiple versions, colored and uncolored. Each digitized copy of a print is available as a thumbnail and in a larger version. Plate sizes are listed in millimeters. Unlike the Lewis Walpole or Princeton collections, however, there is no zoom capability to obtain a closer look at details. |
| Columbia University | 0 | 740 | This is a collection of mostly colored prints in 10 bound volumes, at one time possibly belonging to Gillray's friend, John Sneyd. The collection is organized by the size of the prints and then in roughly chronological order. But the individual prints have not been catalogued (except on this site) nor have they been digitized. In addition to the 10 volume collection of 720 prints, there is also an excellent bound copy of Hollandia Regenerata including 20 more prints. In lieu of anything more official, I have created an informal volume by volume listing here of the prints included in the collection. |
| Fitzwilliam Museum | 16 | 617 | As of 03/18/2017 it appears that there are 142 prints digitized. Of those currently digitized images, a substantial number are uncolored. In addition to a thumbnail of the print, one can examine the image in two larger sizes. In a few cases, sizes (in millimeters) and a description are provided. |
| Frick Art Reference Library | 3 | 724 | This is a collection in 11 bound volumes. The first six volumes are devoted to political caricatures in roughly chronological order. The next five volumes are devoted to miscellaneous prints (also in roughly chronological order), including some that are not caricatures at all, such as A Stranger in Sparta and a pair of sentimental prints, Absence and Remembrance. The final volume also includes three preparatory studies: one of A Calm, and two of The Graces in a High Wind. The individual prints have not been catalogued (except on this site) nor have they been digitized. So I have created an informal volume by volume listing here of the prints and drawings included in the collection. |
| House of Lords Library | 1 | 877 | Added 03/17/2017. This is a collection in 11 bound volumes assembled by Sir William Augustus Fraser (1826–1898). In addition to a comprehensive set of prints in mostly chonological order, it includes two manuscript letters of Gillray and a Gillray drawing. The collection has now been carefully catalogued by Tim Clayton and Rebecca Risbridger. One of the most interesting things about the catalog is that it includes the markers for Gillray prints that Sir William was not able to obtain. So it represents a complete list of the prints that an informed collector had reason to believe were Gillray's. Alas, it does not appear to have been digitized yet. My total includes only the listed prints in the collection attributed to Gillray, not the markers. |
| The Morgan Library and Museum | 1? | 579 | The Morgan Library Gillray holdings consist of loose prints from a collection orginally belonging to the American scholar, Gordon Ray, as well as volumes of prints that were assembled by Prime Minister Robert Peel. The Gillray collection has been catalogued, but only a small number have been digitized. |
| Lewis Walpole Library | 4 | 656 | This is the largest US collection of Gillray's prints that is both catalogued and available online. Like the British Museum, it has the advantage of housing prints by many of Gillray's contemporaries so one can see his prints in context. In addition to providing thumbnails, the digital site also provides an excellent zoom feature enabling you to examine the prints in minute detail. Sizes (in centimeters) are only inconsistently provided. |
| Library of Congress | 0? | 680 | Catalog online. 135 images digitized. In addition to viewing a thumbnail of the print (when available), one can examine the image in a larger size. |
| National Portrait Gallery (Britain) | 0? | 846 | Not just portraits. After the British Museum, this seems to be the most comprehensive collection of Gillray's prints that is both catalogued and available online. Plate and/or paper sizes are available in inches and millimeters. Most of the subjects are listed if not specifically identified. The prints are mostly colored and seem to be in excellent condition. Thumbnail and larger images are available for all. It also include a very useful zoom capability to obtain a closer look at the details of a print. |
| New York Public Library | 156 | 831 | The NYPL has an extensive collection of Gillray prints of which approximately 55 were digitized as part of an excellent exhibition devoted to Gillray in 2004/05. In addition to viewing a thumbnail of the print, one can examine the image in a larger size. But perhaps even more interesting, the NYPL has over 150 Gillray drawings which shed light upon his artistic process. Seven of the drawings were digitized as part of the same Gillray exhibition. |
| Princeton University | 0 | 275 | This is a relatively small collection of mainly later Gillray prints, but in addition to providing digitized thumbnails of all the prints, it also provides a zoom feature which allows you to closely examine Gillray's printmaking techniques. Sizes (sometimes plate, sometimes paper, sometimes both, sometimes neither) are inconsistently provided in centimeters. |
| Victoria & Albert Museum | 6 | ~370 | This is a relatively small collection of Gillray prints, not all of them digitized. Some are colored; some are not. Thumbnails can be clicked on to see a slightly larger version of the print. There are, however, six preparatory sketches for Connoisseurs Examining a Collection of George Morland's, and one copper plate with A Peep into LADY W'''''Y'S Seraglio on one side, and Apothecaries-Taylors, etc. Conquering France and Spain on the other. |
| Wellcome Collection | 0 | ~130 | A small collection of Gillray prints, mostly relating to science, medecine, doctors and ailments. But with a few surprises such as a proof of Voltaire instructing the infant Jacobinism, and what may be etchings by John Sneyd. |