Birth of Modern Political Satire: Romeyn de Hooghe and the Glorious Revolution

Since the eighteenth century, political satire has been a powerful tool in the press, and this study explores its origins in the late seventeenth-century Netherlands during the Glorious Revolution. Romeyn de Hooghe's satires, produced between 1688 and 1690, established many of the genre's defining qualities, such as transgression of bodily boundaries, interdependence of text and image, dialogic text, serialized production, and the emergence of the satirist as a primary participant in political discourse. This study considers these prints as sites of cultural influence and negotiation, reflecting and helping to construct a new relationship between the government and the governed.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2020
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Since the eighteenth century, political satire has been a potent tool in the press, closely linked to one of the core principles of Western democratic society: the right to free speech. This study explores a pivotal moment in the history of printed political imagery when political print transformed into what we now recognize as modern political satire. Contrary to conventional historical and art historical narratives that attribute the emergence of political satire to the news-driven coffee-house culture of eighteenth-century London, Meredith M. Hale argues that the genre originated in the late seventeenth-century Netherlands during the contentious political environment surrounding William III's invasion of England, known as the Glorious Revolution.

The satires created by the Dutch printmaker Romeyn de Hooghe between 1688 and 1690 on the events surrounding William III's campaigns against James II and Louis XIV set many of the defining characteristics of the genre that still hold today. These include the transgression of bodily boundaries, the interdependence of text and image, the centrality of dialogic text in generating meaning, serialized production, and the emergence of the satirist as a primary participant in political discourse. This study, the first in-depth analysis of De Hooghe's satires since the nineteenth century, considers these prints as sites of cultural influence and negotiation, works that both reflected and helped to shape a new relationship between the government and the governed.

The Glorious Revolution marked a significant turning point in the history of political satire, as it shifted the focus from the monarch to the people and their grievances. De Hooghe's satires played a crucial role in this shift by challenging the authority. The government's authority and exposing the hypocrisies and abuses of power. Through his witty and often humorous illustrations, de Hooghe encouraged the public to question the status quo and demand change.

One of the most notable features of de Hooghe's satires is their ability to blend humor with political commentary. He used satire to ridicule the ruling elite and their extravagant lifestyles, while also highlighting the suffering of the common people. His images often depicted the king and his ministers as grotesque figures, with exaggerated features and ridiculous costumes, reflecting their perceived corruption and disregard for the people.

De Hooghe's satires also had a significant impact on the development of printmaking as an art form. He was one of the first printmakers to experiment with the combination of text and image, creating works that were both visually striking and intellectually stimulating. His use of color and contrast, as well as his attention to detail, helped to elevate printmaking to a level of artistic excellence that had not been seen before.

In conclusion, political satire has been a powerful tool in the press since the eighteenth century, and it remains intimately associated with the right to free speech. This study documents one of the most important moments in the history of printed political imagery, when political print became what we would recognize as modern political satire. By exploring the birth of the genre in the late seventeenth-century Netherlands, Meredith M. Hale sheds light on the origins and evolution of political satire, highlighting its significance as a means of social and political commentary. De Hooghe's satires, in particular, played a crucial role in shaping the genre and establishing many of its defining characteristics, including the transgression of bodily boundaries, the interdependence of text and image, the centrality of dialogic text, serialized production, and the emergence of the satirist as a primary participant in political discourse.

Weight: 620g
Dimension: 165 x 240 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198836261