Primary sourcePainting1797

The Esplanade

James Gillray · 1797

A 1797 caricature print by James Gillray satirising King George III and his court strolling at Weymouth.

A satirical caricature of George III and his court during one of his holidays at Weymouth.

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Hand-colored caricature print titled The Esplanade. A crowd gathers on a sandy promenade. In the center, a stout man in a blue coat and black hat stands with his back to the viewer, leaning on a cane. Two officers in red coats bow or doff hats on either side, and a bent figure in brown with a cocked hat stands at right. Banner above reads Medio Tutissimus Ibis. — James Gillray, The Esplanade, 1797. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This is a hand-coloured satirical print titled The Esplanade, made by caricaturist James Gillray in 1797. It shows a crowd on a seaside promenade, with a stout figure in a blue coat standing with his back to the viewer while officers bow around him. The print is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Gillray's caricatures regularly poked fun at Britain's royal family and politicians, and this print mocks the homely, repetitive seaside holidays George III took at Weymouth with his court. It shows that even a reigning king could be the subject of public mockery in the lively print culture of the time, revealing how ordinary people viewed royal habits with humour rather than reverence.

Look closer

Why do you think Gillray chose to show the central figure with his back turned rather than his face?
What does the bowing and hat-doffing of the officers suggest about court etiquette, and how is it being mocked here?
How might a caricature like this have been received differently by the King's supporters and his critics?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of George III on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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