The Driehaus Museum in Chicago has opened 'Ink & Outrage: 18th-Century Satirical Prints in London & Dublin,' an exhibition of some 100 prints by Georgian-era caricaturists including James Gillray and Thomas Rowlandson. Curated by Silvia Beltrametti and William Laffan, the show explores the rise of visual satire in 18th-century England and features side-by-side comparisons of original English prints with unauthorized Irish copies, highlighting issues of plagiarism and intellectual property.
The exhibition matters because it connects historical satire to contemporary political commentary, framing irony as a tool for speaking truth to power. It also sheds light on an under-studied aspect of art history—the widespread copying of English prints by Dublin publishers—and prompts timely conversations about originality and copyright in the digital age. The show runs through September at the Driehaus Museum, which occupies the historic Nickerson Mansion and Murphy Auditorium.