Spotprent op koning George IV en koningin Caroline, 1820 Possibly 1820 - 1826

George Cruikshank created this print of King George IV and Queen Caroline in 1820. Immediately, the exaggerated forms command attention: two pear-shaped figures dominate the scene, their bulk emphasized by contrasting royal attire and accessories atop each body. Cruikshank uses form to convey meaning. The shapes undermine the traditional representation of royalty, challenging established notions of power and beauty. He reduces the figures to grotesque caricatures that subvert the symbolic value of the monarchy. The composition further reinforces this critique through the use of scale and proportion. The king and queen’s immense bodies contrast with their diminutive heads. The blue sashes further serve to amplify their absurd forms. The print's power lies in its visual destabilization of social categories. Cruikshank questions and reinterprets established social codes through his formal manipulation of shape and representation, providing us with a lens through which to view the complex interplay between art, culture, and power.