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 Rising Generation 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 Ghost of Christmas Present Appearing to Scrooge. Illustration by John Leech for Charles Dickens")
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_for_Char_-_(MeisterDrucke-1470815).jpg "Marley")
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.jpg "A Christmas Carol: Mr. Fezziwig")
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 1843 - (MeisterDrucke-57203).jpg "Mr Fezziwig")
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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 "Hannibal, whilst even yet a child swears eternal hatred to the Romans by John Leech")
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.jpg "Scrooge")
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.jpg "Mr Fezziwig")
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.jpg "The Wedding-Party at Mrs Byers")
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.jpg "The Landing of Julius Caesar, from The Comic History of England 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 "Henry VIII meeting Francis I, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Lictor is sent to arrest Publilius Volero, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "William Inspecting the Volunteers Previous to the Invasion of England (1850) 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 "Bertrand de Gourdon Before Richard 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 "A Startling Novelty in Shirts by John Leech")
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.jpg "Eight Hours at the Sea-Side by John Leech")
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.jpg "Embarkation of Henry V at Southampton, AD 1415, from The Comic History of England by John Leech")
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.jpg "Her Majesty")
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.jpg "Mithridates by John Leech")
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.jpg "Numa Pompilius Remembering the Grotto by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Rising Generation by John Leech")
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.jpg "Marriage of Henry VI with Margaret of Anjou, from The Comic History of England 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 "Light Comedy Man 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 Pious Public House, Where You May Get Adulterated Beer and Gin by John Leech")
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.jpg "Roman Man-of-War, from a Scarce Medal by John Leech")
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.jpg "Scrooge")
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.jpg "Unseemly Conduct of Henry, Prince of Wales by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Fish Dinner by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Rapid Student by John Leech")
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.jpg "Origin of the Order of the Garter by John Leech")
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.jpg "Edward")
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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 "Charles I Does Not Know Which Way to Turn by John Leech")
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.jpg "Oh My Goodness! It")
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.jpg "That")
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.jpg "Henry VIII Meets Francis I by John Leech")
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.jpg "Mr J S Rarey, the American Horse-Tamer by John Leech")
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.jpg "Roman Bull and Priest of the Period by John Leech")
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.jpg "Visit to the Antediluvian Reptiles at Sydenham-Master Tom Strongly Objects to having his Mind Improved by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Evil Conscience of Tarquin by John Leech")
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.jpg "An Ambitious Youth by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Romans Clothed by the Inhabitants of Capua by John Leech")
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.jpg "Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi by John Leech")
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.jpg "Little Jack Ingoldsby entering the cellar, from")
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.jpg "Marius in the Ruins of Carthage by John Leech")
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.jpg "Trained Band. Soldier of the Period by John Leech")
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.jpg "Hercules takes a Draper")
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.jpg "A Substitute for the Seaside; or, The Serpentine as it Might Be by John Leech")
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.jpg "Cicero Throws Up his Brief, like a Gentleman by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Great Social Evil, Punch 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 "Guys of the Period by John Leech")
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.jpg "Blondel, the Minstrel, Under the Walls of Richard")
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.jpg "A Dashing Young King by John Leech")
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.jpg "Mithridates, His Rash Act by John Leech")
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.jpg "Romulus and Remus discovered by a gentle shepherd by John Leech")
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.jpg "Close of the Hunting Season, mending the Gaps by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Mermaid")
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.jpg "Mrs Sextus Consoles Herself with a Little Party by John Leech")
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.jpg "Portrait of One of the Cardinals, c. 1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Specimens from Mr Punch")
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.jpg "Picking up a Crown by John Leech")
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.jpg "In the Foreground of the Tableau May Be Observed a Patrician Looking Very Black at the Triumph of the General by John Leech")
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.jpg "Origin of the Order of the Garter, c1860 by John Leech")
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.jpg "King Edward Introducing His Son as Prince of Wales to His Newly Acquired Subjects by John Leech")
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.jpg "Volunteer Movement, Jones and Family Go Under Canvas by John Leech")
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.jpg "Guy Fawkes before and after the Torture by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Contented Mind by John Leech")
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.jpg "Rhea Silvia by John Leech")
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.jpg "Early Roman Gladiator and His Patron by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Young Gentleman and Scholar by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Boy King by John Leech")
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.jpg "Receiving-Day of the Royal Academy by John Leech")
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.jpg "Wolsey Surrendering the Great Seal, 1897 by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Demonstration in Hyde-Park 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 "Home Amusements by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Too Faithful Portrait by John Leech")
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.jpg "Misapplication by John Leech")
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.jpg "A Lee-tle Contre-temps, Jack Rogers and the Glove by John Leech")
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.jpg "Hannibal makes the usual Speech previous to killing himself by John Leech")
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.jpg "Something Like Argument, 1897 by John Leech")
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.jpg "Master of the Horse 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 "Assassination of Viriathus by John Leech")
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.jpg "Valiant feat of Young Mithridates, 1852 by John Leech")
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.jpg "The Confession of the old woman clothed in grey, from")
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.jpg "In the Foreground of the Tableau may be Observed a Patrician Looking Very Black at the Triumph by John Leech")
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.jpg "Henry V. Sends a Friend to the Dauphin by John Leech")
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