Statesman No.092° - Caricature of the Rt.Hon. Russell Gurney 1871

James Tissot made this caricature of the Right Honourable Russell Gurney in 1871, a colored lithograph published in Vanity Fair magazine. The work reflects a tradition of satirical portraiture that was burgeoning in Britain at the time. Gurney, a prominent judge and politician, is rendered with exaggerated features, his large head and hands drawing attention to his physical presence and suggesting a powerful, perhaps overbearing, personality. The choice of caricature as a medium speaks to the growing culture of celebrity and political critique in Victorian England. Vanity Fair, where this was published, aimed its cutting wit at the figures of power and influence, and the magazine provides a fascinating record of the social and political landscape of the era. The image is a good reminder that understanding art requires us to examine not only the artwork itself but also the broader social and institutional context in which it was created and consumed. Resources like Vanity Fair magazine help with our understanding of the history of satire.