For this research task, I was asked to look at the work of William Hogarth, James Gillray, George Cruikshank or other 18th-century political satirists. I was asked to do so under the context of contemporary satirist Steve Bell and the way he re-imagines historical satire with his own modern twist. I was to select some examples of historical work whose core symbolism and metaphor would hold up for a modern audience.
William Hogarth
This satirical piece by Hogarth lambastes the folly of those investing in the South Sea Company in the early 1700s. It was seen by many to be a safe get-rich scheme, however, the financial bubble eventually burst and many lost their fortunes. The scene has many metaphors and allegories. Some are contextual to the time, however, the idea of lotteries and a 'wheel of fortune' is still well understood today. There have been many boom-and-bust bubbles since this was created, and this piece resonated strongly with me; drawing parallels with the recent boom in cryptocurrency.
To make this work in the modern-day setting I would have more contemporary gambling references, either adding in game show references or perhaps imagery from the Lotto, or casinos. There are a lot of contextual allegorical characters in the piece, and I would choose to replace them with more contemporary references that represent the same contexts.
James Gillray
This image from Gillray depicts King George III raiding the Treasury to pay for his lavish lifestyle. This was despite the fact that the national debt was thought to be £250 million.
The themes of this illustration still resonate today in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, with considerable amounts being spent on wars abroad after decades of austerity and sending troops to fight in the Middle East.
Despite the hardships of those at home and those returning from war, the rich and greedy seem impervious to paying off their own debts and taxes; funding lifestyles which are built on the exploitation of those in society who start with less.
This image could be made more contemporary by replacing the royal family with fat-cat investment bankers or similar, who could still be giving money to the Prime Minister, swapping Pitt with Sunak. I would replace the injured veteran with one with more contemporary prosthetics and uniform references.
George Cruikshank
This image by Cruikshank shows George, the Prince Regent, dancing at a lavish party with the wife of another woman. Outside people are dying from poverty and disease. When I saw this image I immediately drew parallels to the behaviour of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his cabinet. They repeatedly held parties at Downing Street while there was a national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They did so without any sense of shame or remorse. The fact that the Prince Regent is dancing with another man's wife while the cuckolded spouse looks on also reminded me of Johnson's notorious yet unashamed infidelities over the years.
This would probably be the simplest of the three images to bring up to date, changing the decor and costume to be that of 2020. Outside I would put the sick people in masks, while in the background dead bodies are loaded into an ambulance. Inside they would not wear masks and of course, I would swap out George with Boris. Keeping the overall composition the same would be crucial to keep the parallel with Cruikshank's piece.
References
Cruikshank, G (1812) Merry Making on the Regent's Birthday [Hand-coloured etching]
Gillray, J (1786) A new way to pay the National-Debt [Hand-coloured etching and engraving]
Hogarth, W (1721) Emblematical Print on the South Sea Scheme [Engraving]