print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.12547
- Title
- Object: The Russian colossus
- Description
-
Suvóroff, holding a French army in each crooked elbow, his right foot planted on Paris (left), a fortified town, is about to put his left foot on 'Peters[burg]. His appearance and dress, though caricatured, are less grotesquely untrue to life than in earlier prints. In his cartouche box, inscribed 'Les Directoire', are the five Directors; he removes a long pipe from his mouth to emit a blast of smoke at them, saying, "There now, be quiet will you". They say: "This Monster will be the Destruction of us all". In his right arm is 'Moreau's Army'; in his left, 'Macdonalds Army' (men, horses, flags, cannon, and bayonets). Through his legs is seen 'Turin'. On the extreme left 'Spain', at which he emits a blast from his posteriors. From Petersburg issue the words: 'here he comes - here he comes got them all in his knapsack.' 15 July 1799
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1799
- Dimensions
-
Height: 403 millimetres
-
Width: 276 millimetres (cropped)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VII, 1942)
Moreau, having been defeated by Suvóroff at Cassano (27 Apr.), retreated through Piedmont to join Macdonald, who was marching north with the Army of Naples. But Suvóroff defeated Macdonald at Trebbia (17-19 June), completing the defeat of the French in Italy. He had entered Turin in May. See Sorel, 'L'Europe et la Rév.fr.' v, 1910, 407-15; W. L. Blease, 'Suvórof', 1920, pp. 217 ff., and BMSats 9387, 9388, 9390, 9392, 9393, 9400, 9412. Cf. BMSat 9403. The five Directors (cf. BMSat 9387) were Barras, Sieyès (from 11 May), and (from 18 June) Ducos, Gohier, Moulins.
(Supplementary information)
Impression with loss of both bottom corners and the right-hand edge.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.12547