English poet and playwright (1685–1732)

concept

A miser looks at his hoard of gold through his spectacles, with six lines of poetry by J. Gay. Stipple engraving by Balston.

Poets: twenty portraits of writers. Engraving by J.W. Cook, 1825.

A Romany fortune-teller is reading the palm of a young woman suffering unrequited love; two other Romany women are leaning over a fence and children are sitting around a fire. Etching by P.W. Tomkins after H.W. Bunbury, 1791.

[John Gay correspondence].

Galleries and Reading Room

Library

Shop

Café

We're experiencing some technical problems in the library today. 

If you’re visiting us, you won’t be able to print or use our PCs or laptops. If you want to sign-up for a free library membership, we’ll give you a temporary card for today and complete your membership next time you visit.

You can access items from the collection as usual and our team is on hand to help. Thank you for your patience while we resolve these issues. 

We're running paid user research studies to improve Wellcome Collection online

John Gay

Images from the collections

Images by John Gay

Images featuring John Gay

Works from the collections

A Romany fortune-teller is reading the palm of a young woman suffering unrequited love; two other Romany women are leaning over a fence and children are sitting around a fire. Etching by P.W. Tomkins after H.W. Bunbury, 1791.

[John Gay correspondence].