- Museum number
- 1948,0214.491
- Title
- Object: Le Gourmand, heavy birds fly slow. Delay breeds danger. A scene at Varennes June 21 1791
- Description
-
Louis XVI sits fatly at a table, carving large pieces from a roast bird, a rolled paper in his pocket inscribed 'Route de Melz'; he turns back to an obsequiously grinning officer wearing a wig and ruffled collar and sleeves, who approaches from an open door to right, bowing and presenting an 'Ordre of la municipalite poor l'Arret de Monsieur Louis de Bourbon', the king saying 'Je me f- de tout cela Laisse moi manger tranqillement'; in the doorway are seen a short man with the fleur-de-lis on his arm and a whip who comments, 'Voila but for his dam guts we had been safe out of their reach', and five heavy-looking soldiers, all with skull-and-crossbone motifs on their bearskin hats. To left, Marie Antoinette stands looking in a mirror, adjusting her neckerchief and saying 'Come my dear Louis havn't you finish'd your two Turkeys & drank your six bottles, you know we shall dine at Mont medy', a fine hat on the chair in front of her. Behind to left, the Dauphin sits grimacing on a water-closet, clutching at himself; his nurse approaches him with a beaker and spoon, saying 'aha! mon Petit Bourbon de shi-ten luck be de good Luck'. On the wall, three frames, the first, titled 'Louis 14', shows a preening figure, nude to the waist with a fistful of thunderbolts, standing on the back of a prostrate figure with several others abject at his feet, a temple to right; the second lacks a picture, but has an upside-down notice stuck in it, reading 'Par le roy'; the third, 'Juillet 14 1789', is the storming of the Bastille. c. June 1791
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1791
- Dimensions
-
Height: 334 millimetres
-
Width: 488 millimetres (trimmed)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- See David Bindman, 'The Shadow of the Guillotine', BM 1989, cat.40.
Bindman 1989
Literature: Jouve 1983, p. 55
This print, though extremely rare, was copied early in France. It continues the tradition of mockery of French life with the familiar stereotypes of the obsequious and affected public official and the brutalised soldiery behind. Louis is also invested with his standard image of gluttony: it is his greed for his supper which leads to his capture. He is saying "Je me f- de tout cela Laisse moi manger tranqillement", while Marie Antoinette replies unconcernedly "Come my dear Louis havn't you finish'd your two Turkeys & drank your six bottles, you know we shall dine at Mont medy".
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1989 May-Sep, BM, Shadow of the Guillotine: Britain and French Revolution
1990 Jan-Mar, Manchester, Whitworth AG, Britain and French Revolution
1990 Jun-Sep, Vizille, Mus/Rev Francaise, Britain and French Revolution
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Flight to Varennes 21 June 1791
- Acquisition date
- 1948
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1948,0214.491