Humours of an Election Humours of an Election The Humours of an Election is a series of four oil paintings and later engravings by William Hogarth that illustrate the election of a member of parliament in Oxfordshire in 1754. The oil paintings were created in 1755. The first three paintings, "An Election Entertainment", "Canvassing for Votes" and "The Polling", demonstrate the corruption endemic in parliamentary elections in the 18th century, before the Great Reform Act. The last painting, "Chairing the Member", shows the celebrations of the victorious Tory candidates and their supporters. At this time each constituency elected two MPs, and there was a
Archibald Robertson (painter) Archibald Robertson (painter) Archibald Robertson (May 8, 1765 – December 6, 1835) was a Scottish born painter who operated the Columbian Academy of Painting in New York with his brother Alexander. Known for his miniature portrait paintings, he was asked to paint George and Martha Washington soon after coming to the United States from Scotland. He also made watercolor landscape paintings and engravings. His book "Elements of the Graphic Arts" was published in 1802. Robertson was born in Monymusk, near Aberdeen on May 8, 1765. His mother was Jean Ross and his father, William Robertson, was a draftsman and architect.