Political Cartoons

From the 18th century the political cartoon became a recognised form of commentary, taking serious issues and presenting them in a funny accessible way, designed to affect the viewer's opinion. In Britain, men such as James Gillray (1757-1815) and Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) who didn't hold back when making fun of political figures and issues, were developing the political cartoon. A politer approach was adopted by the next generation of British cartoonists led by George Cruikshank (1792-1878). Meanwhile, during stormy political times in 1830, their French counterparts had founded the first modern illustrated weekly publication, 'La Caricature'. This was eventually suppressed after a four-year battle, but already in place to take over was a daily newspaper, 'Le Charivari' (1832), featuring a new cartoon each day, which survived for 5 years. Due to the nature of their criticisms of the ruling parties, the cartoonists faced prison sentences and harassment and can be credited with influencing affairs at the time.

Source: http://www.xroads.virginia.edu/