The Gout
Gillray here embodies the pain associated with gout as a small sharp-clawed demon with a scorpian-like tail, snorting fire as it digs its teeth and talons into a man's big toe. The inflammation and associated agony of the condition is caused by excess uric acid in the bloodstream which forms needlelike crystals that accumulate in a joint. Eighteenth-century Britons enjoyed roast beef, beer and port, all of which encourage the formation of uric acid and made gout an all too common affliction.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Gout
- Artist: James Gillray (British, London 1756–1815 London)
- Publisher: Hannah Humphrey (British, ca. 1745–1819)
- Date: May 14, 1799
- Medium: Hand-colored soft-ground etching
- Dimensions: Sheet: 10 7/16 × 14 1/16 in. (26.5 × 35.7 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of Jill Spalding, 2022
- Object Number: 2022.309.1
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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Multiple artists/makers
June 13, 1781
Multiple artists/makers
[1830]
James Gillray
June 19, 1780
Multiple artists/makers
after April 1785
James Gillray
Hannah Humphrey
July 16, 1805
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