A short run at the Ashmolean, Love Bites: Caricatures, by James Gillray, marks the 200th anniversary of the death of the British caricaturist known for his bitingly humorous political and social satires. All 60 works featured are from the New College, Oxford, collection, one of the greatest and best-preserved groupings of his work, holding 700 of the known 1,000 works, the majority never exhibited before. Unflinchingly cruel at times, often scatological, often very literal, and eagerly collected in his day, Gillray has been called the father of the political cartoon.
This exhibition take a fresh look at his art and we see him lend his wit and pen to the task of depicting love and marriage, friendship and alliances.
Curator Professor Todd Porterfield, of the University of Montreal, posed the question of what does coalition, friendship or collaboration look like to Gillray. Fittingly for an election year, the exhibition ends – in the shop – with cartoons from the Guardian’s Martin Rowson, commissioned by New College for the anniversary.
Love Bites: Caricatures by James Gillray
Ashmolean Museum
Until June 21
ashmolean.org/exhibitions/current/
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