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 "The Battle of the Boyne, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "The End of Julius Caesar, 1852 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 "Trained Band. Soldier of the Period 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 "The Bishop of Durham by John Leech")
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.jpg "How the Chartist Procession Might Have Looked, 1848 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Perkin Warbeck Reading His Confession, 1897 by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Last Cider Cup by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Royal Oak. The Penderell family have no idea where Charles is!!!, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Confession of the old woman clothed in grey, from")
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.jpg "Scrooge")
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.jpg "Roman Gladiator and his Patron, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Auto-da-Fe, from")
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.jpg "The Housewarming, from")
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.jpg "Evening Party - Time of Charles the Second, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry VIII meeting Francis I, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Bath Chap by John Leech")
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.jpg "Roman Pantomime 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 "Picking up a Crown 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 Black Mousquetaire, from")
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.jpg "A Scarecrow by John Leech")
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.jpg "Discovery of the Head of Summanus, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Cavalier and Roundhead by John Leech")
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.jpg "Spartacus by John Leech")
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.jpg "Horatius Cocles Defending the Bridge by John Leech")
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.jpg "Master of the Horse by John Leech")
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_for_Char_-_(MeisterDrucke-1470815).jpg "Marley")
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.jpg "Marriage of Henry the Sixth and Margaret of Anjou by John Leech")
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 1843 - (MeisterDrucke-57203).jpg "Mr Fezziwig")
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.jpg "The Lion of the Season, 1861 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, 1897 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Time Bowling out the Druids, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Arrest of Wildman by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Great Social Evil, Punch by John Leech")
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.jpg "Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Guthrum pays an Evening Visit to Alfred by John Leech")
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.jpg "King John Signing Magna Carta, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Dashing Young King by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry the 8th and his Queen out a Maying by John Leech")
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.jpg "I")
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.jpg "A Rapid Student by John Leech")
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.jpg "Roman Youth Aghast at Modern Amusements by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Matter of Business, 1897 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Valiant feat of Young Mithridates, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Bertrand de Gourdon Before Richard by John Leech")
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.jpg "Politeness of Francis to Henry by John Leech")
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.jpg "Unpleasant Position of King Harold, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Edward the Black Prince, Conducting His Prisoner by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Norman Swell by John Leech")
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.jpg "Cardinal Wolsey at Boulogne by John Leech")
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.jpg "Roman Bull and Priest of the period 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 "Blondel, Under the Walls of Richard")
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.jpg "The Queen")
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.jpg "William Inspecting the Volunteers Previous to the Invasion of England (1850) 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 "Henry VIII - After Holbein by John Leech")
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.jpg "Assassination of Viriathus by John Leech")
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.jpg "The King of Sicily and His Household by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Emperor Severus leads his Army against the Northern Barbarians by John Leech")
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.jpg "Time Bowling Out the Druids, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Edward IV, Meeting Elizabeth Woodville by John Leech")
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.jpg "Little Jack Ingoldsby entering the cellar, from")
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.jpg "Henry VIII Monk Hunting, 1850 by John Leech")
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.jpg "General Contents, c1860, 1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Entrance of the Champion, at the Coronation Banquet by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Practical Joke. Deposition of Richard II by John Leech")
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.jpg "Georgey Porgey the First going out for a ride in his State Coachy Pachy, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Captain Fisher Doesn")
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.jpg "Ancient Armed Briton by John Leech")
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.jpg "Titus Oates in the Pillary, from The Comic History of England 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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 - (MeisterDrucke-276462).jpg "Topsy turvey - or, our Antipodes by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry answering Here!, 1897 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Guys of the Period by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Citizens of Bruges Supplying Wolsey")
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.jpg "Sertorius and His Young Friends, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Noisy Burglar, or the Cat and the Milk-jug by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Lord Mayor arresting a suspicious Twelfth-Night Character by John Leech")
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.jpg "Victorious Crusader by John Leech")
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.jpg "Petitioning for a Loan by John Leech")
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.jpg "Scipio and Hannibal by John Leech")
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.jpg "Parliament in hot water by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry Practising Previous to Challenging Francis by John Leech")
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.jpg "Queen Anne Going to Open Parliament, 1897 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Quid Times Caesarem Vehis by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Horse, a Horse! by John Leech")
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.jpg "One, Two, Three, and Under by John Leech")
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.jpg "Mr Fezziwig")
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.jpg "Canute Performing on His Favourite Instrument by John Leech")
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.jpg "Take away that Bauble, Cromwell dissolving the Long Parliament, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "That")
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.jpg "Soldier of the Period by John Leech")
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.jpg "Edmund and Leof by John Leech")
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.jpg "Roman Lady Shopping, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Bacon. From a Remarkably Scarce Print, 1897 by John Leech")
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