John Wilkes, Esq.
William Hogarth - Published May 16, 1763
Frame: 16 5/8 11 5/8 inches; sight: 14 1/4 × 9 1/4 inches.
 
Caricatural portrait of the radical British journalist and politician John Wilkes, shown holding the cap of liberty. Wilkes was widely admired in the American colonies as a champion of civil liberties and a vocal critic of government power, earning him considerable popularity among American patriots.
 
The print was engraved after a portrait by William Hogarth, whose royalist sympathies contrasted sharply with those of his subject. Issued in 1763 and among Hogarth’s final works, the engraving proved controversial, reflecting the political tensions surrounding Wilkes’s career. Though often mocked for his appearance, Wilkes himself reportedly took little offense at Hogarth’s satirical depiction.
 
Condition: Very fine.