John Kay (caricaturist)

John Kay (* April 1742 in Dalkeith, Midlothian, † February 21, 1826 in Edinburgh) was a Scottish cartoonist and painter of miniatures.

Life

John Kay began at the age of 13 years training at George Heriot in Dalkeith and moved to Edinburgh, where he initially continued in his learned profession worked as Bader six years later. In his spare time he began portrait sketches and caricatures of Edinburgh personalities to draw. William Nisbet of Dirleton was aware of him and supported him, so that he could give up his day job in 1785. He slept with a print shop and began his work in higher quantities to sell. In the years 1784-1822 he must have created about 900 portraits, including a portrait of Adam Smith, considered to be the only one created during the lifetime of the person portrayed portrait. Not all of John Kay portrayed were satisfied with their representation. Sometimes they bought the prints in order to destroy them, and Kay also became the target of assaults.

1792 John Kay was preparing to publish his pictures in book form before, but only posthumously, in 1837 and 1838, 340 of his works by Hugh Paton been compiled and published in two volumes. They carried the title A series of original portraits and caricature etchings by the late John Kay, with biographical sketches and illustrative anecdotes and enjoyed great popularity. The third, expanded edition published in 1877 in four volumes.

From 1811 to 1816, Kay participated in the annual exhibitions of the Edinburgh Associated Artists. Also in the exhibition of the Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Scotland, which took place in 1822, he added.

Kay's self-portrait from 1786 shows John Kay next to a bust of Homer. On the arm of his chair sits his favorite cat, which was regarded as the largest cat in Scotland.