ROBERTS, Piercy

(b. ~1775 London, d. ~1825 London)

English caricaturist, printmaker and publisher. In 1795 was copying and engraving portraits. Between 1801 and 1806 Roberts ran a print shop at 28 Middle Row Holborn and published political caricatures, as well as social caricatures. He signed his prints as P. Roberts.

Most of his prints are caricatures, some after his own designs and some after others. He collaborated with Thomas Rowlandson on several prints, most notably a pair of portraits of Josephine Beauharnais (in the Royal Collection) and Napoleon (in the British Museum). He made a series of anti-Napoleon prints between 1800 and 1815 and subsequently made a portrait engravings for several other publishers.

Caricature Shop of Piercy Roberts

The artist depicts himself standing in the doorway of his print shop at 28 Middle Row, Holborn, with a crowd of onlookers examining his window.

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John Bull and His Friends Commemorating the Peace

This etching was made after a drawing by George Moutard Woodward (c. 1760-1809).

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Napoleon and Pitt Observing Each Other

Piercy Roberts was a British printseller and engraver in London.

The political cartoon first appeared in England. The significant feature of this genre was its combination of the caricature of a known individual with some political occurrence, which was often represented emblematically. It was the emergence of an official parliamentary opposition in the age of George III that provided the climate in which such open criticism of government could flourish.

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