4-72 
qf C arzkzzture 
and 
Grotejgue 
Gillray's manner of drawing fuch fubjeits. He accompanied the painter 
Loutherbourg, who had left his native city of Straiburg to fettle in 
England, and become the king's favourite artift, to afiifc him in making 
lketches for his great painting of " The Siege of Valenciennes," Gillray 
tlcetching groups of figures while Loutherbourg drew the landfcape 
and buildings. After their return, the king expreffed a detire to fee 
their iketches, and they were placed before him. Lontherbourgs 
landfcapes and buildings were plain drawings, and eafy to under- 
ttancl, and the king expreifed himfelf greatly pleafed with them. But 
the king's mind was already prejudiced againft Gillray for his fatirical 
prints, and when he faw his batty and rough, though fpirited iketches, of 
the French foldiers, he threw them afide contemptuoufly, with the 
remark, "I don't underftand thefe caricatures." Perhaps the very word 
he ufed was intended as a fneer upon Gillray, who, we are told, felt the 
aFf'rZ)nt deeply, and he proceeded to retort by a caricature, which [lruck at 
once at one of the king's vanities, and at his political prejudices. 
George III. imagined himfelfa great connoilfenr in the fine arts, and the 
caricature was entitled ' A Connoi1Teur examining a Cooper." It repre- 
bIited