drawing;
print study
- Museum number
- 1867,1012.611
- Title
- Object: The ass in the lions skin or the insurrection of the poles, en masse, realized
- Description
-
George III sits on a charger which stands looking down at Napoleon, who with the body of an ass crouches on the ground, half covered with a lion's skin, with a head, which has been pushed back to reveal the fallen Emperor. Napoleon is in profile to the right, gazing up at the King; he has a military collar and stock, and very long ass's ears. Two Cossacks (right) ram him with their long spears, one on the mouth, the other on the neck. Three other soldiers (Poles) attack him from behind with long poles. Two officers (left) gaze horror-struck, each having dropped a (broken) baton, One inscribed 'Francis', the other 'F Wm'. George III, in profile to the left, looks down through his opera-glass as in No. 10119; he is in uniform with jack-boots and cocked hat. On and near the horizon are long solid lines of infantry, formed of tiny soldiers, those on the left having British flags; nearer the spectator are French soldiers in flight. On the right is a similar long line of soldiers, towards which tiny Cossacks gallop with levelled spears. At Napoleon's feet are papers: 'Manifesto against the Russians'; 'Mem—To be at Petersburgh in May'; 'Cowardly Cossacks Dastardly Russians &c &'; 'Plan for restoring the Kingdom of Poland Mem one of my own family to be provided for'; 'Blockade of the British Isles' [see No. 10623, &c.]; 'Mem Ships Colonies & Commerce' [see No. 10439, &c.]; 'Invasion of England FRENCH Flag on the Tower'. Below the title: 'Once upon a time, the Inhabitants of a large tract of Country were alarmed by the frequent incursions of an animal resembling a monstrous Lion, every one fled at its appearance, till some more courageous than the rest, assembled their neighbours, & having armed them sallied out in quest of the nuisance, when the Beast grown confident from his former success in intimidating, thought to frighten them away by the sound of his voice, but the vain glorious animal beginning to bray, discovered that a Lions skin served to conceal under it, only an Ass who soon received the chastisement due to his presumption. Vide Esops fable.'
c.1804-9
Pen and grey ink and watercolour
- Production date
- 1804-1809
- Dimensions
-
Height: 394 millimetres
-
Width: 344 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949)
A satire on the invasion of Russia, see No. 11896, which misjudges the trend of events: the Poles remained faithful to Napoleon and the retreat from Moscow proved fatal to them, while Prussia (see No. 12048) and eventually Austria, deserted him.
(Supplementary information)
Dated by M. D. George, 1812.
Not in Binyon.
Purchased as part of a group of drawings by amateurs supplied to Gillray (1867-10-12-609...621).
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1867
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1867,1012.611