Original antique engraving by James Gillray originally published in 1791. This print is from the Bohn Edition of 1851.
James Gillray's 1791 print "Barbarities in the West Indies" is a political cartoon that depicts the brutal realities of slavery in the British colonies, a pro-abolition work that was published during the debates over the slave trade abolition. The print was a sensationalist and powerful tool in the abolitionist movement, which sought to end the slave trade and later, slavery itself.
The print addresses the cruelty of the slave system, which was a major topic of political debate in Britain at the time. It was published shortly after a parliamentary debate on the issue, specifically related to a motion by William Wilberforce. It was a part of a broader abolitionist campaign through which Gillray created several other works, including a print about boycotting sugar. While the print is a work of political satire, it serves as a visual argument against slavery, which was a significant social and political issue in the late 18th century. It is considered an important historical document that reflects the attitudes and viewpoints of the time, particularly regarding the violence of the slave trade.
Gillray was one of five children, and the only one to survive to maturity. In 1770 he was apprenticed to Harry Ashby, a London writing in engraver, and five years later W. Humphrey published a few of Gillray's illustrations including satirical works. By the time Gillray commenced his career satire was old, but personal caricature was in its infancy. Other exponents in this form of art were soon overshadowed by Gillray's superior craftsmanship. His figures were full of vitality, titillating and reflective of some political crisis or private scandal. As his popularity increased so did demand by the public to see more of his work. In the rapidly changing politics of the late18th century he would produce a plate in twenty-four hours. Although sometimes overlooked his speech bubbles were elaborate and Gillray would spend considerable time composing and redrafting the text.
Between 1791 to 1807 his career continued successfully in association with William and Hannah Humphrey. There after Gillray's health began to suffer. He eventually slipped into madness and died shortly before the Battle of Waterloo on June 1st 1815. Hannah, who had a close relationship with him nursed Gillray through out his final years and following his death the copper plates then formed part of Hannah's estate when she died in 1818. The executor's of Hannah's estate sold Gillray's painstakingly worked plates for there second hand copper weight. Hearing of this, the then publisher, Bohn who had previously expressed an interest in buying the plates set about purchasing them from a variety of different sources. Eventually acquiring over 500. In 1851 Bohn republished the engravings in a large folio volume, "The Works of James Gillray".
