Hand-colored engraved caricature: “A Noble Duke. taken on the Steyne at Brighton”.
[London]: Dighton, Nov. 20th, 1801.
Price: $200.00
About the item
1 vols. 13 x 9-3/4 inches (sheet size). Unframed. Light offsetting verso that shows through faintly, else Fine. Contemporary ink inscription: “Duke of Grafton”.
Item #211594
Robert Dighton was the founder of the Dighton family, which was at the forefront of English caricature for a hundred years. An accomplished portrait painter and etcher, Dighton exhibited at the Free Society of Artists from 1769 until 1773. In addition, he periodically exhibited at the Royal Academy. In 1793, he published a “Collection of Portraits of Public Characters.” The success of this work caused Dighton to focus exclusively on caricature. His realistic, less exaggerated style paved the way for later Victorian caricaturists.
In spite of his success, Dighton appears to have been a man of questionable moral character. In 1806, the British Museum discovered that Dighton had been stealing works from their print room and replacing them with copies.
