print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.8199
- Title
- Object: Le paté indigeste
- Description
-
The four leading sovereigns of Europe sit on stools at an oblong table ready to carve a raised pie. This is formed of masonry, with projecting gun-muzzles, and contains a miniature Napoleon (not caricatured). He raises the lid, and prepares to get out, unnoticed by the diners. At the head of the table (right) sits Francis I, saying, "attaquons tous ensemble"; facing him is Frederick William, who says with a greedy stare: "j'ai une [sic] faim du Diable." Both hold knife and fork. On the farther side of the table sit the Tsar and the Prince Regent. The former turns to the King of Prussia to say: "je le crois bien rassis." The Regent says: "Messieurs je fournirai le vin." All wear uniform, and all but the Regent wear cocked hats. Under the table Louis XVIII lies on his back, the crown fallen from his head. He says: "j'en aurai les miettes."
June 1815
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1815
- Dimensions
-
Height: 220 millimetres
-
Width: 291 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949)
See No. 12528, &c. Frederick William is still hungry after absorbing part of Saxony instead of the wished-for whole.
Broadley, ii. 67. Not in de Vinck or Clerc.
(Supplementary information)
The print was entered in the 'Bibliographie de France' for 3 June 1815 by Lambert. His identity is not certain, but this was the only caricature entered under this name, and a family of engravers with the name of Lambert are recorded in the 1813 and 1817 Paris Almanac in rue Serpente. So this may be a case of a trade engraver trying his hand at caricature in the boom middle months of 1815.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.8199