Dighton, Robert (I), (1752-1814, British)

Hand-colored engraved caricature: “A View of the Telegraph, Cambridge”

13 x 9-3/4 inches (sheet size), [London]: “Drawn, Etchd & Pubd. by Dighton”, May, 1809. Unframed. Fine. Contemporary ink inscription: “Dick Vaughn”.

Richard Vaughn (1789 or 1790-1822), “Hell-Fire-Dick,” was the driver of a coach, the Cambridge Telegraph, and was a popular figure amongst the Cambridge fraternity. He fell out of his gig and was killed at the age of thirty-two Robert Dighton was the founder of the Dighton family, which was at the forefront of English caricature for a hundred years. An accomplished portrait painter and etcher, Dighton exhibited at the Free Society of Artists from 1769 until 1773. In addition, he periodically exhibited at the Royal Academy. In 1793, he published a “Collection of Portraits of Public Characters.” The success of this work caused Dighton to focus exclusively on caricature. His realistic, less exaggerated style paved the way for later Victorian caricaturists. In spite of his success, Dighton appears to have been a man of questionable moral character. In 1806, the British Museum discovered that Dighton had been stealing works from their print room and replacing them with copies

Item #211599       Price: $200.00