ABSTRACT
The reign of George III has been called the 'golden age' of caricature, but this was only made possible by a host of other political and social developments. Initially an elite medium, caricature gained popularity for its ability to humorously yet accurately critique contemporary politics and society. Caricature helped to forge a more modern British identity by adding a new dimension to the understanding of contemporary events with its vivid, eye-catching visual images. The middle-class had come to be recognized as a vital part of the British polity, and as the property qualifications of the Reform Bill of 1832 indicate, it had earned that position of trust. Grotesque and outrageous satires of the ministry and royal family, such as this last print, straddled the line between the traditional satire that drew lessons from British moral principles, and the revolutionary doctrines that sought to overturn the established order.
