With the early 19th century, British society discovered an interest in the printed word. Books, magazines and journals became part of everyday life. Decorative illustrations developed into a branch of the applied visual arts, providing a visual accompaniment to text. One particular form of illustration is caricature. James Gillray and Thomas Rowlandson are considered the founders of this art form, which makes reference to society and politics. A caricature is often accompanied by criticism, which is hidden or openly demonstrated in the fine lithographs. In the early days of British caricatures, cruel and satirical elements are often present. The illustrator John Leech turned away from this traditional form of representation. The artist found his inspiration on the streets of London. His first works were humorous character studies that Leech collected in vibrant London. Among the facets of bourgeois city life, the artist found individual characters. Empathic and warm-hearted, Leech reveals the qualities of character. Gentle and never malicious, Leech developed sympathetic images of the people of the time.
John Leech achieved a high profile through his work for the British satirical magazine Punch. The humorous magazine was aimed at the general middle-class audience. Punch stood for verbal and graphic satire and humorous social criticism. Leech took on the issues that preoccupied British society. Strongly represented were a hostile attitude against Americanism and anti-Semitic prejudices. The illustrator created a critical yet humorous cartoon series about the Crimean War and was able to influence public attitudes regarding heroism and warfare. Leech changed the view of the role of the British in the world and was an advocate of acceptable social reform. John Leech reached the readership with his cartoons. Reasons for this may be the high artistic value of the lithographs and the lack of crudeness that other artists used to make their points.
The sympathetic characters that John Leech developed helped the illustrator to get a special collaboration. Leech was commissioned to do the illustrations for Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol. The story about the grouchy and miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas were perfect for the artist. Leech produced four etchings and his depictions of the ghosts remain the most famous Dickens illustrations to this day. A close friendship developed between the Leech and Dickens families. John's wife Anne was unusually involved in her husband's professional life for the time. Anne Leech sat as a model for young women's drawings and supported her husband's artistic endeavors. Rising living costs drove John Leech to take on more commissions than he could handle. He painted and did portraits beyond his strength. Leech became sensitive to the sounds of the city and lost his taste for music. The dedicated artist succumbed to the effects of a heart attack at the age of 47.
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.jpg "Scene from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens by John Leech")
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.jpg "Much Above That Sort of Thing by John Leech")
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.jpg "Curius Dentatus Refusing the Magnificent Gift Offered by the Samnite Ambassadors by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Rising Generation by John Leech")
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.jpg "King John signing Magna Carta by John Leech")
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.jpg "Bacon, Ye Great Moral Philosopher by John Leech")
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.jpg "John Leech: English illustrator best known for his humour cartoons in the satirical magazine Punch by John Leech")
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.jpg "Fancy Portrait of the Champion of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "That")
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.jpg "Henry inspecting his Troops before the Battle of Agincourt by John Leech")
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.jpg "Queen Philippa interceding with Edward III for the Six Burgesses of Calais, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Housewarming, from")
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.jpg "Blondel, the Minstrel, Under the Walls of Richard")
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.jpg "Close of the Hunting Season, mending the Gaps by John Leech")
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.jpg "Ethelred Dispatching a Letter by His Son, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Bit of Animated Nature, The Protectionist Cuckoo in the Hedge Sparrow")
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.jpg "Discovery of the Laws of Gravitation by Isaac Newton by John Leech")
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.jpg "Cloelia and Her Companions Escaping from the Etruscan Camp, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Terrific Combat between Richard Coeur de Lion and Saladin, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Scrooge")
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.jpg "Mr J S Rarey, the American Horse-Tamer by John Leech")
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 1843 - (MeisterDrucke-57203).jpg "Mr Fezziwig")
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.jpg "Rash Act of Caius Gracchus by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Confession of the old woman clothed in grey, from")
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.jpg "Master of the Horse by John Leech")
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.jpg "Part of Scarborough by John Leech")
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.jpg "Epsom Races, the Return from The Derby by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Battle of Bosworth, A Scene in the Great Drama of History by John Leech")
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_from_The_Comic_History_of_Eng_-_(MeisterDrucke-390332).jpg "Coronation of Henry IV (from the best authorities), from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Light Comedy Man of the Period by John Leech")
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.jpg "Illustration for Oliver Twist by John Leech")
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.jpg "Edward II and his Favourite, Piers Gaveston by John Leech")
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.jpg "Unpleasant Position of King Harold, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry VIII and His Queen")
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.jpg "Unseemly conduct of Henry, Prince of Wales, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Time Bowling Out the Druids by John Leech")
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.jpg "Spartacus by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Battle of the Boyne, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Blondel, Under the Walls of Richard")
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.jpg "Unpleasant Position of King Harold by John Leech")
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.jpg "Discovery of the Laws of Gravitation by Isaac Newton by John Leech")
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.jpg "Hercules takes a Draper")
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.jpg "How the Chartist Procession Might Have Looked, 1848 by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Christmas Carol: Mr. Fezziwig")
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.jpg "The Currency Question; or, the Stock Exchange out for the Day by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Auto-da-Fe, from")
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.jpg "Hannibal, whilst even yet a child swears eternal hatred to the Romans by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry is Determined Not to Be Bullied, 1897 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Shakespeare Pooh! For my part, I consider Shakespeare a very much over-rated man by John Leech")
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.jpg "William the Conqueror inspecting the Volunteers previous to the Invasion of England, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Cartoon Commenting on the Watering-Down of Milk by John Leech")
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.jpg "Take Away That Bauble: Cromwell Dissolving the Long Parliament by John Leech")
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.jpg "Marius in the Ruins of Carthage, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Landing of Julius Caesar, 1850 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Scipio Aemilianus Cramming Himself for a Speech After a Hearty Supper by John Leech")
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.jpg "Scrooge")
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.jpg "Specimens from Mr Punch")
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.jpg "The Ghost, from")
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.jpg "Roman Man-of-War, from a Scarce Medal by John Leech")
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.jpg "Combat between the Horatii and Curiatii by John Leech")
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.jpg "Captain Spurrier Cut Down by Romford by John Leech")
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.jpg "Hamilton Tighe, from")
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.jpg "A Substitute for the Sea Side, or the Serpentine as it Might Be by John Leech")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-935531).jpg "Armed Slave by John Leech")
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.jpg "John Leech by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Landing of Julius Caesar, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Self-Possession of Fabricius, the Ambassador, under Rather Trying Circumstances by John Leech")
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.jpg "Romford Disturbs the Dignity of His Huntsman by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Rising Generation by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Black Mousquetaire, from")
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.jpg "The End of Julius Caesar by John Leech")
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.jpg "Roman Man-of-War, from a Scarce Medal by John Leech")
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.jpg "Drusus is Stabbed, and Expires Gracefully by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry VIII Monk-Hunting, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Superbus, the upstart, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Romans Walking off with the Sabine Women by John Leech")
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.jpg "Cardriver plying for Hire by John Leech")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-276462).jpg "Topsy turvey - or, our Antipodes by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Picnic in the Drawing Room, a Capital Thing for a Wet Day by John Leech")
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.jpg "Samnite Soldier, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Tax Collecting in the Reign of Edward the First, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Little Jack Ingoldsby entering the cellar, from")
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.jpg "Battledore and Shuttlecock by John Leech")
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.jpg "Self-possession of Fabricius under rather Trying Circumstances, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry VIII and his Queen Out-a-Maying, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Wedding-Party at Mrs Byers")
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.jpg "Evening Party - Time of Charles II by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Love Box door was opened, out came the hounds with a cry, 1865 by Hablot Knight Browne")
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.jpg "Henry the 8th and his Queen out a Maying by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Black Prince as Waiter to King John, c. 1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Canute Performing on His Favourite Instrument by John Leech")
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.jpg "Canute Reproving His Courtiers by John Leech")
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.jpg "I")
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.jpg "Henry pardoning the young Couple by John Leech")
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.jpg "Considerate Conduct of Scipio Africanus by John Leech")
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.jpg "Richard thinks it high time he managed his own affairs, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Rhea Silvia by John Leech")
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.jpg "Fox hunting Bishop of the Period, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Valentine by John Leech")
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.jpg "Aesculapius by John Leech")
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