John Doyle

Doyle, John, well known as a caricaturist under the pseudonym of "H. B.," was born in Dublin in 1797. In early manhood he paid much attention to art, and obtained some success in portraiture and in the representation of horses. His chief celebrity, however, arose from his caricatures of political personages, besides illustrations, in Punch, The physiognomies of numerous British celebrities of the day have been perpetuated by him. It was generally understood that he threw up his connexion with Punch in consequence of his Catholic principles being outraged by the Pope being mercilessly caricatured in its pages. He lived a quiet, retired life, and died at his residence, Clifton Gardens, London, 2nd January 1868, aged about 71. The Annual Register says: "The charm of H. B. was the excellence of the humour shown in his portraits, added to the fact that he did not, as too many political satirists have been prone to do, degenerate into coarseness and vulgarity... His sons, inheriting a good name, have inherited also much of the fun to be seen in their father's drawings, but with much greater technical skill in drawing, in which Mr. John Doyle was rather deficient."

Sources

7. Annual Register. London, 1756-1877.

40. Biographical Division of English Cyclopaedia, with Supplement: Charles Knight, 7 vols. London, 1856-'72.