James Gillray – Gentle Emetic – Hand-colored Etching – Humphrey Edition

An engraving by James Gillray, published in London by Hannah Humphrey in 1804 and hand-colored. This work belongs to the satirical medical series in which Gillray criticizes the extreme brutality of the therapeutic treatments of his time. It depicts a completely exhausted patient leaning on a table, his head supported by the doctor who is trying to control the effects of an emetic described as "mild." The patient's slumped posture, his livid complexion, and the assistant's clumsiness reinforce the crude and ironic nature of this scene, where the patient's suffering becomes a denunciation of the supposedly beneficial remedies of Georgian medicine. Like the other plates in this series published in 1804, the engraving bears neither an engraved signature nor a marginal note from the publisher, in keeping with the characteristics of Hannah Humphrey's early publications. This print boasts exceptional provenance: framed in England in the 1950s by the London art dealers Vicars Brothers Ltd., whose label is still visible on the reverse, it is protected by a black mat in an elegant antique frame. Ready for display, it is in pristine condition. Rarely preserved in such a state, this medical satire is an important testament to the history of British caricature and the medical practices of the period. Its authenticity and visual impact make it a highly sought-after collector's item. Image dimensions: 26.5 × 21 cm (≈ 10.4 × 8.3 in). Frame dimensions: 37 × 30.5 cm (≈ 14.6 × 12 in).