Exit, Pursued by John Kay: The Staging of Graphic Satire in Late Eighteenth-Century Edinburgh
John Kay (1742–1826), a late eighteenth-century Edinburgh barber turned graphic satirist, is generally presented as a quaint footnote to London-centric histories of British graphic satire, whose mild-mannered style lacks the bite of his London contemporaries. Focusing on a new analysis of Copper-Bot...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Yale University
2022-08-01
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| Series: | British Art Studies |
| Online Access: | https://www.britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/issue-index/issue-23/exit-pursued-by-john-kay-the-staging-of-graphic-satire-in-late-eighteenth-century-edinburgh |
| _version_ | 1798039532582469632 |
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| author | Wendy McGlashan |
| author_facet | Wendy McGlashan |
| author_sort | Wendy McGlashan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | John Kay (1742–1826), a late eighteenth-century Edinburgh barber turned graphic satirist, is generally presented as a quaint footnote to London-centric histories of British graphic satire, whose mild-mannered style lacks the bite of his London contemporaries. Focusing on a new analysis of Copper-Bottom’s Retreat, or a View of Carron Work!!! (1797)—a satirical portrait of William Forbes of Callendar—this article challenges such assumptions about Kay. Previously described as a “naïve, but amusing, print”, this article demonstrates that Copper-Bottom’s Retreat actually presents a complex and multilayered burlesque allusion, constructed within the framework of eighteenth-century Scottish theories of laughter, and which engages with prints after European Old Master and contemporary British history paintings. The image therefore demands visual engagement across a range of cultural media: image, performance, and text. Kay’s participation in and contribution to Edinburgh’s vibrant print culture is explored, and new context provided for Henry Raeburn’s monumental full-length portrait of the same sitter, painted the following year. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:55:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca24d5326c4849c89958336fc9328d1a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2058-5462 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:55:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Yale University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | British Art Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca24d5326c4849c89958336fc9328d1a2022-12-22T04:01:07ZengYale UniversityBritish Art Studies2058-54622022-08-0123Exit, Pursued by John Kay: The Staging of Graphic Satire in Late Eighteenth-Century EdinburghWendy McGlashanJohn Kay (1742–1826), a late eighteenth-century Edinburgh barber turned graphic satirist, is generally presented as a quaint footnote to London-centric histories of British graphic satire, whose mild-mannered style lacks the bite of his London contemporaries. Focusing on a new analysis of Copper-Bottom’s Retreat, or a View of Carron Work!!! (1797)—a satirical portrait of William Forbes of Callendar—this article challenges such assumptions about Kay. Previously described as a “naïve, but amusing, print”, this article demonstrates that Copper-Bottom’s Retreat actually presents a complex and multilayered burlesque allusion, constructed within the framework of eighteenth-century Scottish theories of laughter, and which engages with prints after European Old Master and contemporary British history paintings. The image therefore demands visual engagement across a range of cultural media: image, performance, and text. Kay’s participation in and contribution to Edinburgh’s vibrant print culture is explored, and new context provided for Henry Raeburn’s monumental full-length portrait of the same sitter, painted the following year.https://www.britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/issue-index/issue-23/exit-pursued-by-john-kay-the-staging-of-graphic-satire-in-late-eighteenth-century-edinburgh |
| spellingShingle | Wendy McGlashan Exit, Pursued by John Kay: The Staging of Graphic Satire in Late Eighteenth-Century Edinburgh British Art Studies |
| title | Exit, Pursued by John Kay: The Staging of Graphic Satire in Late Eighteenth-Century Edinburgh |
| title_full | Exit, Pursued by John Kay: The Staging of Graphic Satire in Late Eighteenth-Century Edinburgh |
| title_fullStr | Exit, Pursued by John Kay: The Staging of Graphic Satire in Late Eighteenth-Century Edinburgh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exit, Pursued by John Kay: The Staging of Graphic Satire in Late Eighteenth-Century Edinburgh |
| title_short | Exit, Pursued by John Kay: The Staging of Graphic Satire in Late Eighteenth-Century Edinburgh |
| title_sort | exit pursued by john kay the staging of graphic satire in late eighteenth century edinburgh |
| url | https://www.britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/issue-index/issue-23/exit-pursued-by-john-kay-the-staging-of-graphic-satire-in-late-eighteenth-century-edinburgh |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wendymcglashan exitpursuedbyjohnkaythestagingofgraphicsatireinlateeighteenthcenturyedinburgh |