print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.7198
- Title
- Object: A Peep at the Corsican Fairy
- Description
-
John Bull (left), the showman, displays on a table a miniature Napoleon who stands aggressively, hands on hips, legs astride, looking at John; a large padlock inscribed 'the British Navy' hangs from a chain which is shackled to his right ankle. John, a citizen with an ill-fitting wig, holds in his left palm a disk inscribed 'Malta'. Facing him (right) are spectators, representing European countries. A well-dressed man stoops, looking through an eyeglass, he says: "Monsieur Jean Bull I think I have seen this little Gentleman before - he was with us in Italy." John answers: "O Yes Sir - he is a great Traveller - but don't come too near him, he is very choleric - he put himself into a great passion with me about the sugar plumb I hold in my hand. - indeed if it was not for my little chain and padlock, I could not keep him in any kind of order." A good-looking young man looks over Italy's (or Austria's) shoulder to say: "We shall never forget him in Switzerland." A fat uncouth Dutchman, in bulky breeches, smoking a pipe, says: "My frow once persuaded me to shew our house and he took possession of the whole premises." On the extreme right a Spanish don says: "By St Deigo he is a curious little fellow." c.July 1803
Etching
- Production date
- 1803
- Dimensions
-
Height: 248 millimetres
-
Width: 349 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VIII, 1947)
One of many invasion prints, see BMSat 10008. For Napoleon's 'passion' cf. BMSat 9998; for Malta, BMSat 9997, &c. For the Dutch 'patriots' who invited the French into Holland cf. BMSats 8314, 8846, &c. Cf. BMSat 10034.
Reproduced, Broadley, i. 166.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.7198
