William Bunbury, engraved by James Bretherton
The Hopes of the Family

Hand coloured engraving
26 x 36 cm
c.1790

This engraving, titled “The Hopes of the Family – An Admission at the University”, is satirical work by William Bunbury. The scene portrays a young man being presented for admission to the University of Cambridge. Although the title suggests that the boy is expected to achieve great things, his appearance and and general demeanour hint at incompetence or lack of enthusiasm, thus introducing an ironic paradox.

This caricatural scene dates from the late 18th century, a period when William Bunbury, alongside James Gillray, Thomas Rowlandson, and Isaac Cruikshank, was producing humorous and often politically charged works. Their engravings frequently lampooned figures of authority, including politicians, clergy, and university officials. This engraving is therefore illustrative of its time, clearly representing broader trends in the unique convergence between art and politics.

William Bunbury was an English caricaturist and illustrator known for his humorous depictions of 18th-century social life. Born in 1750 into an aristocratic family, he studied at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he developed a passion for art. Unlike many professional artists of his time, Bunbury was a gentleman amateur, meaning he pursued art for personal enjoyment rather than financial necessity.

Though not as politically charged as contemporaries like James Gillray or Thomas Rowlandson, Bunbury’s style was more lighthearted and observational. His illustrations of rural life, student antics, and military themes were especially popular, influencing later British caricature. Although he passed away in 1811, he left a legacy of caricatures that wittily captured the unique humour and manners of Georgian England.

Condition: Generally very good, slight age toning.

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