The Real Cause of the Present High-Price of Provisions Possibly 1795

"The Real Cause of the Present High-Price of Provisions" is a satirical hand-colored etching by English artist James Gillray from possibly 1795, now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. It depicts a scene of French agents smuggling supplies from the English coast, highlighting the economic hardship experienced in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. The artist uses caricature and exaggeration to make a political statement, accusing French agents of causing inflation and food shortages in England. This work is a prime example of Gillray's social commentary through visual art.