The King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver.–Vide. Swift's Gulliver: Voyage to Brobdingnag 1803

This color etching by James Gillray, made around 1793, depicts a scene inspired by Swift’s *Gulliver's Travels*. We see a giant king holding Gulliver in his palm, peering at him through a spyglass. The spyglass, a tool of exploration and control, evokes themes of observation and power. The motif of the magnifying lens recurs throughout history, from ancient Ptolemy's optics to contemporary surveillance technologies. Each appearance reflects an enduring human desire to scrutinize and dominate. Here, it is not merely an instrument but also a symbol of intellectual, even political, conquest. The giant king, embodying rational superiority, uses it to dissect and judge the miniature Gulliver. The implications of the Lilliputian complex are profound. This image speaks to our primal fears of insignificance. Gillray’s satire taps into the subconscious anxieties of being scrutinized, reminding us that the symbols of power are ever-present, shaping our perceptions and dictating our place in the world.