The Clerical Exercise

A single-issue comic from 1791, The Clerical Exercise is a satirical print by George Moutard Woodward, who both wrote and illustrated this early example of British caricature. Published during a period of sharp political and social commentary in England, it lampoons the clergy with Woodward's characteristic wit and exaggerated style. Though brief in run, it stands as a notable artifact of 18th-century graphic humor, reflecting the era's irreverent take on religious institutions.