print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- J,4.202
- Title
- Object: Friends & foes-up he goes-sending the Corsican Munchausen to St Cloud's
- Description
-
The Powers of Europe toss Napoleon in a blanket. He flies into the air, legs above his head, dropping crown and sceptre, his sword also falls. He exclaims with an agonized expression: "O Misericordé." Three figures hold the front of the sheet, in back view, but with upturned profiles: in the centre is John Bull, a fat 'cit', bald-headed, his hat and wig on the ground. On his left, their hands touching, is a Dutchman smoking, and with a big orange cockade in his hat. On his right is a Spanish don, in feathered hat, ruff, cloak, slashed tunic and breeches. At the extreme ends of the sheet are (left) a Cossack, next the Dutchman, and (right) the fat King of Würtemberg. Seven men hold the farther side of the blanket (left to right): the Pope, wearing his tiara, a man wearing a fur cap with a star, inscribed 'Polar Star', identified in a contemporary hand as Poland, despite the association with Sweden (see No. 10997). His neighbour is identified as Bernadotte, but resembles Francis I. The next two are identified as Russia and Austria, one is perhaps Bavaria (Russia being represented by the Cossack as England is by John Bull). Next is the hussar who commonly stands for Prussia. A man wearing cocked hat and star is identified as Hanover, but does not resemble the Duke of Cambridge or of Cumberland and is not unlike Bernadotte.
12 December 1813.
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1813
- Dimensions
-
Height: 248 millimetres
-
Width: 351 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949)
One of many prints exulting at victories, see No. 12114, and giving prominence to Holland, see No. 12102, &c. For Napoleon as Munchausen cf. No. 12113; he is tossed in a blanket in No. 10001 (1803).
Also an impression with the final letter of the title removed.
Grego, 'Rowlandson', ii. 262 f. Broadley, i. 345. De Vinck, No. 8847. Reproduced, Fuchs, i. 168; Klingender, p. 41.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1818
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- J,4.202
